Mediocrity

In the philosophy of science, there is a principle that suggests there is nothing especially privileged about Earth and, consequently, nothing especially privileged about the human race. It is known as the “Principle of Mediocrity.” Since we learned that Earth is not the center of the universe, this idea has helped humble our understanding of our place in an immense cosmos.

That kind of humility can be useful. But as Christians, we must be careful not to turn humility into a spiritual inferiority complex.

When we forget that we are special in God’s eyes, and that He has trusted each of us with a place in His kingdom, we fall into another kind of mediocrity. It happens when we doubt our worth, compare ourselves with others, bury our gifts, or decide that our talents are too small to matter.

7. 11. Chesterton once wrote that mediocrity is being in front of greatness and not realizing it. That is the danger. We can stand in front of God’s purpose and still live as if nothing has been placed in our hands. We can believe the lie that we are too insignificant, too limited, or too ordinary to make a difference.

Mediocrity can also appear when we split our faith into pieces. Sometimes we focus only on the spiritual and ignore the practical. Other times we focus only on the practical and forget the spiritual. But Jesus never lived a divided life. His compassion touched bodies and souls, tables and temples, people’s hunger and people’s eternity.

Psalm 139 is a beautiful reminder that God’s eyes are upon our lives. We are known, formed, searched, and loved. That does not make us proud. It makes us responsible.

So to every Christian, I repeat the message of a song we used to sing in fellowship: “You are capable of moving forward; you are capable of reaching the goal; God made you, He knows you, and He knows… that you are capable.”

Step out of the shadow of mediocrity. Not because you are the center of the universe, but because the God who made the universe has called you by name.