So, what am I good at? At various points of my life I believed that I was particularily good at something or other, but good is a relative term. There’s always plenty of people better than me. I was very proud, as a child, when I taught myself to play keyboards, but I’m no Rick Wakeman.
The question brings to mind an old Soft Cell song that I heard in a London record shop back in 1982; Frustration, where Marc Almond rails against his ordinary life. In the chorus he sings I Am So Ordinary. He didn’t seem like a very ordinary type to me, but maybe he was speaking for the rest of us😀.
To be positive, I have passed lots of exams, I have been reasonably successful at my various careers, I have managed to stay reasonably healthy, have good relationships, and I’ve avoided financial disasters. And I’m reasonably good at musical instruments. I suppose I am pleased that I have been able to do a good bit of public speaking too, despite being a little shy.
But perhaps it’s not so much how good you are but your willingness to apply yourself. One of my careers was teaching. I did a bit at second level and third level. My favourite students were generally those who were disciplined, worked hard, and asked plenty of questions. They didn’t need to be particularly gifted.
In spiritual terms, God doesn’t want us to be pompous and to think highly of ourselves. He wants us to recognize that we are sinners and that we need his grace and mercy. Think of the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector:
Luke 18:9-14
9 He also spoke this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed by himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of men: extortionists, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
He wants us to be his disciples, which means leaning on him and learning from him.
Supposing Eric Clapton decided to volunteer to teach guitar to students from a local school. Would his aim be to produce 25 Eric Claptons? I think not. I think that he would want the students to feel the joy of learning the guitar. They might be learning their whole lives (like me😀.
That’s the way I think of Christian discipleship. We fail and fall, but then we get back up again. We will be perfect in heaven, but this life is one long learning experience. We shouldn’t use all this as an excuse to be lazy, but I think that the important thing is to engage with God. You can see that, in the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father). And it doesn’t mean that we spend all our time bemoaning the fact that we aren’t good. We can celebrate the fact that we can live for God, however flawed our lives might be. King David and so many other Bible characters were by no means perfect, but they were quick to reach out to God. We should aim to be perfect, but even if we fall short, we can do real good in the world through Christ. You can be good at doing evil or you can be good at doing good. What would God have you do?
John 15:5
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Philippians 2:12-15
12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Here are a couple of hymns about learning from God.
And here are a couple about our potential in Christ:
Hibernia Gospel 