In my last post I took a stab at debunking the myth of perfectionism, in this one I’d like to offer some hope for those of us who live with sore necks because we’re forever looking up to others who deservedly stand in the floods at center stage. In fact, they’re not just standing in the floods, they are the floods! In every generation God seems pleased to endow a few men and women with stellar gifts for the benefit of the many lesser lights. But we lower wattage bulbs need to cherish the fact that it is God who assigns lumin potential and that he has chosen to light up the world with many lights not just a few brilliant ones. What he expects of us is that we burn as brightly as possible with the wattage assigned, not to draw stares to the bulb but glory for the generator!
As I’ve been reading A.B. Bruce’s Training of the Twelve again, I’m impressed with Christ’s selection. Fishermen, tradesmen, zealots, and a tax collector! None were tagged from the priestly class, no Pharisees (there were some good ones), and no trained scholars from among the scribes (again, there were certainly some outstanding ones). What Jesus chose were 12 ordinary men of the pedestrian class, completely capable of achieving ministry at a prosaic level. John MacArthur, in his book on the 12, makes the observation: “The propagation of the gospel and the founding of the church hinged entirely on twelve men whose most outstanding characteristic was their ordinariness.”
To be unexceptional is no curse in the body of Christ because God has not chosen to start with the wise, the powerful, or the noble by this world’s standards (1Cor. 1:26-31). He takes what we are, infuses us with his infinitely wise and powerful Spirit, gives us his supernatural, life-transforming Word of Grace, and says, “Just tell them what it says.” So ALL boasting, both the lesser lights and the brilliant ones, is the same–soli Deo gloria (for the glory of God alone!). Thank God for the bright lights and thank God for 40 watts burning at full strength since both can light a path to the one who is the Light of the world!
I was hoping to be at least a 7-watt night light, but daring to be a 40-watter?
I was thinking in contrast to those gargantuan floods they use for advertising that light up the surface of Pluto!
there are times this 40 watt bulb tries to burn like a flood light just because everyone else says it ought to… often times it ends up just flickering dimly. I appreciate the reminder
Hi Craig,
thanks for the article…it reminds me of a quote (author unknown)”shine preacher, in thy place and be content.”
Perhaps through the power of God our seemingly 7 watts is indeed 40 watts (using CFL versus incandescent equivalence…)?