I would say that for most of my life, I sought to be normal. I wanted it so bad. I didn’t want to stick out at all because I was so desperate for approval. The more that I’ve grown however, I’ve realized that if I want true success then I must be willing to be weird. Normal is in debt. Normal is divorced. Normal is unhappy. Normal is boring. Normal is broken. If you’re new to this blog, I’ve been taking the 70 resolutions of Jonathan Edwards and going through 1 each day. Resolution #23 says,

Resolved, Frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs, and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for God’s glory, to repute it as a breach of the fourth Resolution.

I hear Edwards saying here that he is going to be weird. To take deliberate actions for God’s glory that seem “most unlikely to be done.” He then makes it clear that he’s not trying to do it to gain a name for himself but rather legitimately to glorify God. This is a man that has put all his eggs in one basket. He knows what he’s living for and has pushed all his chips into the middle of the table.

Do you consider yourself an ambitious person? Where do your ambitions lie? I’m guessing that if we all chose to be ambitious for God’s glory, we could change the world. What would an unlikely step of obedience look like for you?

A lavish gift to the church?

Going on a mission trip?

Having a needed conversation with a friend?

Reading the Bible?

Praying?

Going to church?

If we keep doing the same things we’ve always done, we can expect to keep getting the same things we’ve always gotten. So what’s it going to be? There is a reason that people still talk about Jonathan Edwards. He made some decisions with his life that make him worth studying and worth emulating. Will we do the same?