I’m different and always have been. I was never the most popular kid at school, whether that was high school or college. That may have been because I was weird in a homeschooled kind of way; you can smell a homeschooler before you even set eyes on’em. They smell like Snuggles fabric softener. Let’s just be real, homeschoolers are weird. I feel qualified and privileged to say that, because I was one until junior year of high school. Most of them have a distinct pale-face, homely, socially awkward, “I don’t get out much,” kind of persona about them. They are way behind on urban vocabulary, and you have to explain almost every joke or innuendo to them. That pretty much sums up a homeschooler. They are the brunt of many a joke. Why? Because they are different in more ways than one.
To this point you may think that I resented being homeschooled. While there were times that was the case, the transition from adolescence to young adulthood has helped me see the benefits of being raised a weirdo. Benefits you say? Yes, there are benefits that come from learning to be on the outer fringe of the cool spectrum. The biggest benefit was learning the blue collar definition of sanctification. Sanctification is a big theological word that has a simple meaning really. It means “set apart.” It’s a concept Christians should be very familiar with. Hebrews 13:12 explains that sinners are sanctified (set apart) by the blood of Christ in the moment of salvation. However, this spiritual separation from sin, it’s more than a spiritual phenomenon that takes place beyond the view of the naked eye. Paul described Christian conduct to the Thessalonians in terms of sanctification. He says, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,” (1 Thess. 4:3-4). Being spiritually set apart from sin means that you correspondingly become physically set apart from that sin. For someone not raised in a devout Christian home, this physical sanctification process can be very difficult, because separating yourself from sin means you will be…weird. It means you will look and behave different than most people. You don’t have to be socially awkward, but still, people will see something different about you, and their responses aren’t always kind.
As a teenager who had been raised to be weird, I developed a strong set of personal values. When I went to public school there were many times those personal values were tested. I was asked to go to parties with alcohol, but I refused. My friends cursed and swore just for the sake of it, but I chose not to. In the baseball locker room the guys would talk about girls in the most undignified and perverted ways, but I just kept to myself. There were promiscuous girls who flirted with me, but I knew better and kept my distance. My teammates or acquaintances would make fun of me some, try to tempt me to indulge some, and talk behind my back some, but it could have been way worse. Nonetheless, I wasn’t Stonewall Jackson in every way. It helped that I was athletic and my mom didn’t use Snuggles fabric softener, but I would engage in telling inappropriate jokes. Dirty joke telling was an outlet that didn’t seem sooo bad and was a common ground I could share with the guys. But even with my vices, I was still that weird guy.
I’ve said enough about my high school days already. All of that was just my way of relating to you. If you are a Christian who is having difficulty balancing godly values with being accepted by the majority, this is for you. There is no way you can properly demonstrate the example of Christ and maintain full acceptance from your friends or acquaintances in the world. Jesus’ words to His disciples under much harsher circumstances are very much applicable to our weaker circumstance: “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you,” (John 15:18). That was Jesus’ way of relating His high school days to the twelve disciples as it were. Sanctifying yourself by the word of God (John 17:17) means you will have to accept being a weirdo in some areas. People are going to talk about you. It’s just gonna happen. Your mission is to internalize the concept of sanctification so that it becomes a part of who you are instead of something you “have to do.” If every Christian could live the 30 seconds of Peter’s life after the rooster crowed and he made eye contact with Jesus (Luke 22:61), I think we could all internalize sanctification. Peter did. He was a completely changed man after that.
It’s really not that difficult to be sanctified in today’s world. By that, I don’t mean that it is easy mentally. As long as there are peers, there will be pressure. I mean, it’s not difficult to be weird! Just be semi-godly and you’ve got it. Here are five simple habits that will make you weird, and I would encourage you to start putting extra effort into these specific habits as soon as possible.
1. Show respect to your elders and everyone in authority, whether you think they deserve it or not (1 Timothy 5:1; 1 Peter 2:13-21).
2. Let your yes be yes (Matt. 5:37). That means, when you say you are going to do something, do it!
3. Stop swearing mindlessly (Matthew 5:33-37). Jesus gave this command in conjunction with the last one. If you tell the truth, there is no reason to swear in the first place. “Vows, oaths, and swearing all exist because we’re untruthful,” (Gibson, Living Life Backwards). When you swear and don’t keep your oath, “You have wrapped your untruthfulness inside a pledge of your truthfulness,” (Ibid.). If a person is always having to swear to get people to trust them, it’s a sure fire sign you can’t trust the person. Stop swearing.
4. Say goodbye to filthy jokes. Paul literally says word-for-word, don’t let filthy joking even be named among you (Eph. 5:4). It’s pretty simple and plain. As soon as you quit the, “That’s what she said,” jokes you will soon discover there are a lot of conversations you have to walk away from.
5. Don’t retaliate (Matt. 5:38-42). I do believe this to be the thrust of Jesus’ command to turn the other cheek, give away your cloak, and go the extra mile for the enemy.
People will notice these things, because they are rare traits in our society. Of course, you aren’t doing these things so people will notice and praise you. On the contrary, you practice these and all other Christian virtues so that “they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven,” (Matt. 5:16). Like I said, it doesn’t take much to be weird. It doesn’t take much to be sanctified. It doesn’t take much to set the example that will lead to the glorification of God.
“Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts…” (1 Peter 3:15)
