Kemi Oyedepo: Abnormal By Grace

Author; Kemi Oyedepo

There are many things people say are normal about family life. For instance, they say it is normal for children to bring disease from school for the whole family. They say it is normal for a  husband and wife to fight. They say it is normal for the family to live in debt. They say it is normal for in-laws to bully or mistreat husband/wife. They say it is normal for teenagers to be rude and talk back to their parents without boundaries.

There are so many costly and unpleasant normalities that exist in marriage and the family! No wonder many single men and ladies would rather play house than have the real deal. I learnt early on that by the grace of God, such normalities could become an abnormality in my family life. I learnt that if refuse to accept such normalities, they would be far from me. You are probably wondering how you also can ensure that such unpleasant normalities become abnormal for your family. First of all, connect with divine grace through Jesus Christ. That connection through salvation means you are adopted into God’s family. It is what ushers you into a new inheritance and a new way of life. It is what makes your ‘normal’ become different from the norm. It doesn’t stop there though. You still have to DO some things, which bring me to my next point.

Seek your new ‘normal’ from the bible; get your picture from God’s Word. There, you will find biblical antidotes to many of the negative ‘normals’ you know now. Sickness, poverty, family crisis, etc are not designed for pleasure.

The bible tells you everything you should have instead – which are your inheritance in Christ such as riches, favour, peace, unity, joy, etc. Thirdly, begin to create your new ‘normal’ based on what the bible says you should have. You do this through prayer, fasting, studying the bible, and allowing God’s Word to work in you. Confess it with your mouth and believe it in your heart. Confess what you believe your new normal is. If you are in debt, start confessing abundance. If your child is always sick, start confessing vitality. If there is division, chaos and confusion in your home, declare peace and unity. Make faith-fuelled declarations. Then, start adjusting yourself to a new NORMAL. Start basking in the abnormality of a peaceful family life that comes by God’s grace.