I Will Never Be Great

Brothers, consider your calling: Not many are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world-what is viewed as nothing-to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, so that no one can boast in His presence. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

For a long time I knew that I would never be great. As a child I was good at pretty much anything I attempted, but I was never going to be great at them.

It wasn't because I lacked a competitive attitude. I was a fierce competitor and have always hated losing, no matter what I am doing.

It wasn't because I lacked the understanding of how to do it. I had a voracious appetite for knowledge. If it interested me, I taught myself how to do it. I even taught myself to read.

Adults were always telling me, "You can do anything you put your mind to." While that might be true in most cases, I still knew that there were things I would only do in mediocrity.

I knew that regardless of how much time and effort I put into sports that I would never be great. I played on baseball teams that were league champs. I was the clean-up batter. I was good...but not great.

I knew that even if I spent every waking hour calculating equations that I would never be a great mathematician. I never struggled in math. I was multiplying by 7s in kindergarten. In eighth grade I was asked by the high school math teacher to stop by just to double check his work. I was good...but not great.

I heard many promising words of encouragement toward my artistic side as a child. I was told that I had natural skills as a pianist and would one day become a virtuoso. I was told by an ex-Broadway dancer that he just knew I would be dancing in New York someday. I was told that I had a gift for writing fantastical and imaginative stories. I won first place in art contests, I won awards and recognition as a trumpet player, I was selected often as a soloist at auditions. I was good...but not great.

I knew these things because I observed others and because I knew my potential. I could not measure up to what previous great men and women had done in those fields. And looking back I can see it even more starkly now.

Some would say that I didn't achieve greatness because I didn't try hard enough. Some will insist that I just needed to find the one thing I was great at and focus on that. Others might say that I was being such a realist that I left no room to dream big. And some will read this and think that I am just a lazy person who is making excuses for giving up and doing nothing with his life.

As I said, I was good. I could go through a long list of achievements, awards, recognitions, performances, and published works. I don't talk about them much because, while I don't mind talking about my past for illustrative purposes, I don't like to brag on myself. Not because of humility, but because I get uncomfortable talking about myself. Regardless, I was good at almost anything I tried to do...just not great.

When I look back on my life I see a person who is just an average human being, but someone that God has used in a miraculous way in spite of my complete lack of greatness. Or perhaps because of it.

For more than 30 years I have served churches ranging in attendance from 50-900 people. I served in areas of music, youth, education, and more with absolutely no greatness on my part. And when I look back at the lives of those I have come into contact with, I see: couples who have strong, christ-centered families; young people who have gone into missions; individuals who started drama ministries; teens who became youth pastors; children that are raising godly children of their own; young adults who are leading worship; communities encouraging one another; leaders who are training leaders; and men who are preaching about Jesus.

I will never achieve the greatness of Einstein or Rembrandt or Babe Ruth or Toby Mac. I am fine with that. I will never be great, but I can look back at what God has done through me and see that it is good.