Stay Wonderfully Strange

We’ve all seen it happen and perhaps we’ve felt it ourselves.

Someone becomes ignited with the love of Christ. They repent boldly, turn from sin, and step into the strange, wonderful life of a follower of Jesus. They're not ashamed to evangelize, to worship openly, to walk a different path. But as time goes on, that fire seems to dim. Slowly, subtly, the call of their old life begins to whisper again. The discomfort of being “different” starts to outweigh the joy of obedience. And before long, they no longer seem quite so strange at all.

But here’s the truth that Christians must hold onto: strangeness isn’t a phase—it’s a feature of faithful discipleship.

Called to Stand Out

Peter reminds us that Christians are “sojourners and exiles” in this world (1 Peter 2:11). We're not home yet. That means we will look different, sound different, and live differently. That’s not a defect in the Christian life; it's a design.

Today, a staggering 64% of American adults identify as Christians a majority. Yet only 6% hold a biblical worldview. That tells us something crucial: identifying as Christian doesn't mean you're living as one. Many are trading in their holy “strangeness” for cultural comfort.

Peter knew this temptation well. In his letters, especially 1 Peter 4, he addresses believers living in a world that found their convictions puzzling. "They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of wild living," he writes (1 Peter 4:4). Sound familiar? The more we let the world define “normal,” the easier it is to become indistinguishable from it.

We Stay Strange Together

Peter outlines four marks of a church community that helps believers remain faithful strangers in a familiar world:

1. Strange Posture: Love That Covers

“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).

The world’s version of community often thrives on drama, self-interest, and quick offense. But the Christian community thrives on sacrificial, sin-covering love. This love doesn’t mean we ignore wrongdoing but we handle it with grace, mercy, and reconciliation. We don’t cancel each other; we forgive, restore, and move forward.

This posture reflects the heart of Christ, who bore our sins not to hold them over us, but to bring us near to God. That kind of love selfless, patient, persistent is truly foreign in today’s world.

2. Strange Place: Homes That Heal

“Show hospitality to one another without grumbling” (1 Peter 4:9).

Hospitality is more than inviting someone to your table; it’s inviting them into your life. In a culture increasingly isolated and digital, opening your home to fellow believers is radical. It’s where hearts are knit, burdens are shared, and strangeness is celebrated not tolerated.

A 2023 Barna report found that only 29% of practicing Christians say they’ve received hospitality from someone else in their church in the past year. That’s a missed opportunity. When our homes become refuges for the faithful, they become embassies of heaven. They offer courage to weary saints and connection to the isolated.

3. Strange Practice: Gifts That Serve All

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another…” (1 Peter 4:10).

The Christian community doesn’t mirror the pecking order of the world. In the church, the CEO and the janitor kneel side by side to serve. The young and the old, the influential and the unknown all are stewards of grace. In using our spiritual gifts not to impress, but to serve, we challenge every societal expectation about power, status, and significance.

Despite increasing emphasis on equality in modern culture, recent workplace studies show over 70% of employees feel undervalued. In Christ’s body, everyone has value not because of position, but because of purpose. We serve not for applause, but because our Savior served first.

4. Strange Perspective: The End Is at Hand

“The end of all things is at hand… To [God] belong glory and dominion forever and ever” (1 Peter 4:7, 11).

What makes us truly strange is not just how we live but how we view time, eternity, and the meaning of life. We live on the edge of history’s final chapter. That awareness shapes everything. We don’t just wait for retirement we wait for resurrection. We don’t just chase the American dream we pursue the Kingdom of God.

When eternity is real, compromise isn’t worth it. When Jesus is returning, we don’t blend in we stand firm.

A Final Word

In a world that increasingly prizes conformity and comfort, staying strange for Christ requires courage. It’s not always easy. There will be seasons of loneliness, ridicule, and fatigue. But you are not alone.

God’s people have always been a peculiar people (Titus 2:14). Noah looked strange building an ark. Moses looked strange challenging Pharaoh. The early church looked strange selling their possessions and sharing all things in common. Yet they were right to do so.

So are you.

Stay strange for the Kingdom is near. And one day soon, what looks odd to the world will be revealed as wisdom in the eyes of eternity.

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