Uncommon

 We deal in the common every single day. Common clothes. Common food. Common colds. Common schedules and routines. Common days. It is a rare thing to ever deal in the uncommon. Before I go any further we need to define uncommon. 

Uncommon: out of the ordinary, unusual, remarkable. 

We live pretty ordinary lives, have ordinary jobs, live in ordinary residences and spend our money on ordinary things. I am betting it has been awhile since anything you experienced would be defined as remarkable happened to you. 

Our third son, Tucker, works at ChicFilA when he is not in college. He was working outside taking orders in the drive through when a man in a large truck pulled up. Tucker asked the man for his order and thought he recognized him. After taking the order, Tucker asked the man if he was such and such. Turns out the guy was a pretty famous country singer passing through. Tucker took a selfie with the guy. 

Those are not ordinary experiences. We take common things for granted. Time with family. Meals. Sleep. Friends. Vehicles. Our days go round and round on a merry go round of the usual. I am sad to point out this even happens in our worship. Both private and corporate worship. 

In recent days, I have been trudging through the books of Leviticus and Numbers in my Bible reading. I admit that is some pretty dry reading. Until I came across some scriptures today that really shouted to me. In those books, God communicated to His people that He was uncommon. That is why all the restrictives laws. God demands to be treated as holy and with reverence. When He was not treated that way in the scripture people suffered for it. Ask Korah. Check out Uzzah. Look into Ananias and Saphira. Each treated God as common and paid a price for it. In fact, God required their lives. Korah and his band of 250 followers were swallowed whole by the earth. The earth opened up underneath them and they all fell in and then the ground closed back over the top of them. Uzzah died for reaching out his hand to steady the ark of the covenant as it toppled on an ox pulled cart. He did not treat God has holy and thought he could stead the ark like a common piece of cargo. Ananias and Saphria both lied at different times before the Lord and God struck them both dead in Acts 5. 

Think of the casual ways we approach God in prayer, devotion, and worship. Think of how lack luster we are in public worship. How easily we dismiss His word or the promptings of His Spirit. How we treat the sanctuary as a common ordinary room like other common rooms we frequent. There is little reverence anymore. 

God is uncommon and should be treated that way. He is not ordinary. When we come to Him that is a unique encounter unlike encounters we have with common people. When we open His word, we are opening a remarkable book that is living and active sharper than a two edged sword. When we walk into the sanctuary that is a place to worship and learn about God. It not like our living room or dining rooms. It is a place to devote all our attention to Him. When we sing His songs they are not common. Some people sing louder in their vehicle to songs on the radio or their playlist than they ever sing to God. Admittedly some people sing songs to God in their vehicles. I think that might be more unusual than people singing a country, pop, hip hop, or a love song. 

Everything about God is uncommon, remarkable and extraordinary. I'm thankful for that reminder today. Maybe this will serve as a reminder for you too. Our God is uncommon and those things that are associated with Him are uncommon as well. Let us treat Him that way with reverence.