What do you expect...
By Erik Farstad
January 26, 1998
"When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus." Acts 4:13
A reader asks: What do you expect of the common man? Woman? What do you expect of the genius?
To answer these questions, one needs to define what common and genius are. More particularly, is there really a difference? Who’s standards are being used to define a person using these terms? I will try to give you my personal take on all of this.
Peter and John, in Acts 4, were before the Sanhedrin council testifying as to why they were preaching in Jesus’ name. Now, you must first understand that Peter and John were just two guys with no formal education. The Sanhedrin council was made up with the brightest, most intelligent scholars, rulers and elders in Jerusalem. When Peter and John spoke to them, they presented themselves like two very educated people. So are Peter and John two common or genius men? Both, God used two common men but gave them the ‘genius’ abilities when needed.
I believe everyone has common traits, abilities and skills that they share with other people. Further I believe that everyone has areas where they may excel, where some may consider them a genius in an area. Common and genius are words we have used to describe people. They rather should be words to describe those same people’s actions! No one is all genius or all common. We are though, all human! God has given each of His children, me an you, special gifts for us to use. This may be in the area of teaching, where you excel in knowledge of arithmetic or mathematics. If I lack in this area, to me you may be a genius where I would consider myself common. God gave you your gifts, your excelled talent in one or many areas, to be used for His glory. Your gifts are to be shared with everyone, to love, promote and restore this world to Godly living and service.
As to if there is a difference between men and woman, yes but only in their unique gifts and how they use them. I don’t believe and Christianity does not teach that men are better than women, in regards to genius status or talents. There are things that men can do better than women, and vice versa. We were created to balance each other, and we do. This is a perfect time to bring up the point that we humans have put ‘status’ on the common or genius. If you are common, you are nothing. If considered a genius, you have reached the status of greatness. I believe we have lost touch with what is really important, that is what God thinks of us not man. And in God’s eyes we all have worth, no matter what you or I label ourselves.
If I continue writing these devotionals until the day I die, without ever seeing them published in a book or magazine, will I be considered common because I did not achieve approval by some man at a publishing agency? By my fellow man, perhaps I will only be common. To someone reading them, who’s life is changed, I may be a genius. Does either one matter? NO! I do not seek to be common nor do I seek the title of a genius. What I do seek is approval in God’s eyes.
So what am I really saying? We, people, have gotten too wrapped up in having to label things good or bad. The world says genius is good and common is bad. When we strive to be genius, we are striving to reach approval. OK, so you finally get there now what? You will continue to strive for genius approval from everyone, but in the end you can never achieve it.
Whether man, woman, common or genius, I expect only what that individual was created to be and do. It is when I expect the common man or woman to do only ‘this or that’ and the same for the genius, that I am in a sense playing God. God is the only one that knows what each of us can do. If I ever get caught thinking my worth is in one of these titles, I will lose sight of what God intended me to be...ME! Common or not, I am a creation of God and I matter.
There is one thing you could do, that I would label genius. Accept Jesus Christ into your life and you too will see that you were a genius for doing so!
Let this be your prayer today:
Prayer GOES HERE XXXXX
In Him, "E"