Better

Has there ever been a time when you looked the talents of someone else and then looked at your own skills, and thought, “Man. I wish I could be like them. If only I was better at ___________ …….”

If you are anything like me (and even if you aren’t), you have probably thought this at one time or another. We live in a society that is constantly screaming at us to be better. We hear all the time how we need to be better students, better workers, better friends, better parents, and better people in general. To be of any use to anyone, we must be the best at everything. And yet, it seems that no matter how hard we try to be our best, there is someone who is more adept than us.

A few months ago, I was attending a play which I had auditioned for, but not gotten a role in, and as I sat watching the actors onstage doing a phenomenal rendition of Experiment With an Air Pump, I thought to myself, “How can I even compete with people who are much better actors than I am? Why do I even bother to audition? How will I ever be able to fulfill the dreams an visions God has put in my heart if I can’t even measure up to the skill level of my peers?”

Every week since then, I have been reminded of my lack of experience and natural talent as I sit in my vocal training classes, listing to one person after the other sing in perfect, clear, melodious tones, as I struggle to meet the pitches. After a while, tying to keep up gets exhausting.

So, a few days ago, as I sat listing to yet another talented vocalist and having my own little pity party, the Lord reminded me of an important truth: God doesn’t require us to be “better” than everyone else, he requires us to be obedient to his calling.

Or, as Pastor Steven Furtick puts it,

“Sometimes God chooses someone who is lesser, so that he can show that he is better.”

As I searched through scripture, I saw that God consistently neglected the “better” option and chooses seemingly lesser people, because he see a world-changing potential in them that they couldn’t even see themselves.

• In 1 Samuel 16:6-13, God chooses David as the next king, because he had character qualities that his “better” older brothers didn’t.
• In Exodus 3:11-22, God chose a hot-tempered man with a stutter to lead the people of Israel, because Moses’ lesser qualities revealed that God was better.
• In Judges 6:11-16, God choose Gideon to lead the people in battle against the Midianites, even though he was the smallest and weakest man in his unimportant clan.
• In Luke 2:8-20, the shepherds, the lowest in society, were the first people God chose to reveal the news of Jesus’ birth to.
• In Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John, Jesus chose 12 unschooled men to be the leaders of his church, because humble hearts were more important to him than all the knowledge of the pharisees.

Again and again and again throughout the bible, God exulted those who were humble and worked through those who were broken to achieve his purpose and be glorified. As 2 Corinthians 12:9 says:

“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you and my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

2 Corinthians 12:9

While I may not be the best at everything and people may not be blown away with my talent, I trust that God has a plan for me and that I will be used by him. I believe this for you too. If you are chasing after God’s heart and seeking him, though you may seem to be “less than”, you might just be the willing heart that God is seeking.