It’s only reasonable to consider what’s natural and normal in determining how we should live our lives. It should give us pause when something is not natural or otherwise abnormal. But this pause doesn’t mean that these are our highest standards. In fact, our excellence often requires us not to settle for either what’s merely natural or normal.
For instance, animals live by instinct – simply doing whatever is natural for them. But human dignity calls us to something much more. Even at a very base level we develop manners, etiquette, and common courtesies in our daily interactions with each other. And kids are taught, for example, to mature beyond their usual emotional tantrums when they don’t get what they want. While these tantrums are natural, it’s not the highest good we want for our kids, or society.
Likewise, what’s popular or statistically normal doesn’t necessarily mean good either. For instance, it might be normal to be lazy, fat, and selfishly entitled, but this doesn’t mean we have to settle for these things ourselves. In fact, even the most basic “self-improvement” is elevating ourselves beyond merely what’s normal.
Time and again throughout life we don’t settle for simply what’s natural or normal. We seek a higher excellence. And this approach is needed, for example, when it comes to our sexuality as well.
We don’t get to do whatever we want sexually just because our high sex drive is natural. And just because it’s normal for guys to watch porn, sleep around, or cheat doesn’t mean these are behaviors we should seek to emulate. In either case, we maintain our human dignity and strive to form our heart and soul towards God’s best.
In the end, excellence requires more than merely settling for whatever is natural or normal. Pursue your highest good without accepting standards that rob you of the glory God has given you to reveal.
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