Social Norm or Crazy?

I love my church.  It is filled with people who truly seek God and desire to do His will.  We, like so many other churches in America, still fall under some brutal problems when it comes to our faith and obedience to God.  The American church seems to be fairly complacent and not willing to challenge social norms.  We are comfortable.  Way too comfortable.

I've become so much more aware of the issue as I read the Word, attend leadership conferences, have traveled to Nicaragua, and am now preparing to go to Australia. 

I had an epiphany, if you will, on my drive home from church today. Since choosing to leave my good-paying job and start training to become a foreign missionary, I have come under severe questioning about my motives, my heart, and my calling.  I have had Christians I respect oppose me. 

I understand accountability and respect it.  What I don't understand, is why did no one have a problem with me getting up everyday to do the corporate grind, live in a nice apartment, buy new clothes and gym memberships, go out to eat, and attend a nice church on Sunday?  Did anyone sit down with me and question my motives, where my heart was?  Did anyone pray with me to make sure this is where God was leading my life? 

Sure, I wasn't doing anything wrong.  In fact, I was paying off debt, working hard, had good relationships, and supporting my church and missionaries financially.

When I chose to move forward, give up my security and follow a calling I have felt on my life for a really long time, all of a sudden, people become suspicious, cautious, act as if I am running from something, questioning if this is really what God wants from me.

If I had chosen to follow the "social norm" for America, no one would question God's call on my life.  But, when I choose to step out in faith, leave the "huddle" and act, I meet with opposition.  Making $50K a year sitting at a desk is a worthy cause, but traveling into jungles to love people and lead them to Christ is a problem? Are we really that afraid? Do we really not believe in the great commission? Is it really that hard to believe my heart was in the right place when pelted by commercialism and the need for "things" but it's not in the right place now?  

I appreciate all the advice and concerns people have for me because I know my motives can stray.  I am far from perfect and pure of heart.  But, I am frustrated that it was fine for me, as an American Christian, to live comfortably without question. 

Do I fear what lies ahead.... sometimes.  I am more afraid of waking up some day to realize that everything in my life was vain, lives weren't changed, people perished because I was too busy following a social norm.  God can work with or without me, but I don't want to stand before Him someday to have all of my good deeds burned up because they were never really good at all. I long to follow Him to the hurt and the broken, to love the unloved.  American church, shouldn't that be our social norm? Shouldn't we be questioning anything less?   

I love MercyMe's song CRAZY.  "I have not been called to the wisdom of this world, but to a God who is calling out to me.  And even though the world may think I'm losing touch with reality.  It would be crazy to choose this world over eternity..."