I bought a piece of art from a friend the other day, and she told me about a somewhat painful comment someone had made to her. After looking at her art, this person said to her, “I could’ve done that,” and my artist friend said, “Yeah, you could have, but you didn’t.” I love that response! I love it because it underlines something I believe wholeheartedly: It takes a lot of courage and guts to create something, and that is why so few people actually do it.
It is so much easier to sit on the sidelines than to play in the game. That’s why there are as many as 76,125 people at a Broncos game, but only 22 are actually playing the game. It’s so much easier to critique than to be critiqued, easier to buy art than to make it, safer to balk from a distance than to put your own skin/voice/body/self into the arena and play.
The apostle Paul says, “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.” One thing that ought to haunt us is that apparently we have a choice as to whether we participate in the “good works.” We have a choice of whether we’ll utilize our gifts and talents. A choice on whether we’ll play in the game or be spectators with the one and only life we’ve been given. Recently, Tim pointed out in a message that Abraham was given this massive promise by God and because Abraham believed, he became a mighty player in God’s redemptive plan for humanity. Perhaps Abraham’s father was given that same promise but did not believe, did not trust God enough to move from comfort and security to a life of adventure.
May we be the ones who swallow the lump in our throats and trust God for big things with the one and only life he’s given us. What can you do that scares you and requires some faith today?
Susie Grade 