Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs
ABOVE THE NORMAL
Yesterday we read how God wants us to build a magnificent home for him. But it’s not enough to build a magnificent home for God. Did you notice that we are to build an EXCEEDINGLY magnificent home? I love the way the Bible is filled with adjectives? Nothing about God is average and therefore the Bible needs adjectives to describe God’s plan for us.
The word "exceeding" in the Hebrew is ma'al and means "above, very high, the upper part." The word ma'al is translated "above" 53 times and "upward" 59 times! It means “above the normal.”
We must change gears in our brain from building a home that is like every other home around us. Instead, let’s build homes that are ABOVE the normal, above the mediocre, and above the status quo. Let’s build homes that not only subsist from day to day, but overflow in every area of our family lives. This is the lifestyle God intends for us (John 10:10). Let’s get out of the rut. Let’s get away from the boring and normal.
Sadly, in the average home today, members like to do their own thing. Each one going here and there, glued to their iPhones, or shut out from each another as they listen to other things on their earphones. But in the “above the norm” home, family members give time to one another—working, interreacting, and sharing together. They are a family unit, not fragmented from one another.
In the average home, there are more TVs in the home than children. The "above the norm" home has more children than TVs.
In the average home, most families don’t sit together at the family meal table very often. In the “above the norm” home, they delight to meet at the family table each day—to eat and communicate together. They understand that true fellowship is eye to eye and face to face.
In the average home, most families are so busy that they don’t get time to have family Bible reading and worship together. In the “above the norm” home, they make everything else fit around their morning and evening times to pray and read God's Word together.
In the average home, there is often bickering and fighting. In the "above average" home, the siblings are friends rather than fighting with one another.
In the average home, most families live to themselves. In the "above average" home, they love to open their home in hospitality. They love to invite others to share their meals. They enjoy food, gladness, and laughter as they share with others.
In the average home, they spend much of their time running here and there to sports and extra-curricular activities. In the “above the norm” home they spend more productive time at home. They continually think of ways to strengthen their family unit rather than weaken it.
It’s so normal to be average. Are you ready to go a step further and build an “ABOVE THE AVERAGE” home?
Blessings to you today from Nancy Campbell
