Above Average

In our society we hear the word average used quite often.  Average height; average income; average family etc.  In those cases, there’s nothing wrong with being average, it’s merely a comparative, mathematical finding.  Now let’s look at it another way.  Are you willing to have a medical procedure done by an average surgeon; or your child taught by an average teacher?  How about buying an average wedding dress, or going out for a special occasion to an average restaurant?  It changes things, doesn’t it?  I heard a wise saying once that goes like this; “Average is the best of the worst, and the worst of the best.”  While being an average “anything” isn’t bad, it’s also an indication that we could be doing a whole lot better.  Think about the jobs you hold, the skills you have, or the friend/spouse/parent you are to others.  Are you living up to your potential, trying to be an A+, or do you settle for a C?

 Let’s face it, our human natures tend to be a bit sluggish at times, and we rationalize away our sloth by saying that a C is better than an F.  While that may be true, it’s still falling short of the mark.  As Christians, God has set marks for us to hit, as well, missing them is counted as sin.  If you were to grade yourself, right now, where would you fall?  At the “head of the class”; trying hard; slightly motivated; needs improvement; lazy or failing?  How do you think God would judge you?  In a classroom, a teacher will tell you that the good or A students are alert, studious, obedient, ask questions and in general  want to learn and please the teacher.  Similarly, God wants us to be interested in his word, have a teachable nature and work up to or beyond our potentials.  He’s not going to hand out high marks to the pupils sleeping at their desks, or nodding off in the back pews.

While it’s impossible to get an A in everything we do, and God understands that, we can still try our darndest…God loves that quality in us!!  “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.…” Colossians 3:23.  Don’t settle for just being average!