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God’s Answers to Life’s Difficult Questions

How Can I Live Above Average?

Faith Family,

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on this blessed first full week of 2026. I continue to give thanks to our gracious God for putting you all in our lives. Your faithfulness and your enthusiasm fill my heart with joy and helps complete my hope in Christ. Every day I look forward to serving our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ alongside each of you and growing in our discipleship journey together.

Last week we discussed the questions “How can we defeat Depression?’ This week I am asking, “How can we live above average?”

When I was studying my Mdiv at Asbury Theological Seminary, I had some colleagues who lived by the philosophy, “C = MDiv.” Meaning that an average grade would get you the same degree as a 4.0 gpa. I agree with the reasoning, just not the philosophy. These are future pastors. These are future spiritual leaders being called by God to care for the most precious element of one’s creation – their soul. We are to proclaim truth; we are to hold accountable. We are to equip. We are to lead people and help others lead people to an eternal relationship with Christ. Why would you begin this process thinking “being average is enough?”

God doesn’t want us to be average. God doesn’t want us to just exist. God doesn’t want us to just survive. No, God wants us to thrive, to excel, to rise above average and reach for excellence. We can be common, yet stand out in the crowd reflecting Jesus, not ourselves. I have been a part of congregations who seek to simply exist or survive. God does not call His church to simply exist. God definitely does not call His church to survive. God call His church to THRIVE. 

This can only be done if we surrender our fears, our preferences, our insecurities to Christ, and allow the Holy Spirit guide our very steps into the community, and into the future. 

Pastor Rick Warren in his book, “God’s Answers to Life’s Difficult Questions” uses Jabez as an example. Do you remember Jabez? Many won’t. There is only two verses about Jabez in the entire bible. One doesn’t get more common than that. However, what is recorded about Him is a prayer that exceeds average. His prayer, found in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, simply says this, “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, ‘I gave birth to him in pain.’ Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from hard so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.”

There is nothing average about his prayer. Jabez knew how to excel, he knew how to move beyond being average. He had great ambitions. He wanted to enlarge his property to excel. He knew this was going to be dangerous. The more land you have the bigger the target. However, he knew that inviting God to be a part of this ambition would protect him and help him move forward.

This is the lesson we can learn when asking the question, “how do I move beyond average?” First, have Godly ambitions. Don’t be complacent. Don’t be satisfied. God wants us to grow, to move forward and to thrive. We can experience contentment in working towards our Godly ambitions. Contentment is peace, not laziness.

When our ambitions are lined up with God’s will, and we invite God to be a part of that journey, like Jabez, God will grant our request. But our motives, our intentions, our drive must be centered on God’s will for our lives, and the life of the Church. Jabez knew three things. 1. He needed God’s power in his life to achieve the goal. 2. He knew that the goal would require sacrifice and he needed God’s protection of grace. 3. He knew prayer was important. Of all things written about Jabez, it was his prayer that made it on the pages of God’s written word. 

If we want to excel for God; if we want to thrive for God, then we must look beyond average and have ambitions in our lives that will help us grow in our spiritual walk. As we move towards those ambitions, may we, like Jabez, be assured of three things: We need God’s power in our lives; We need God’s protection of Grace; and we need to pray.

Faith family, as we look at these difficult life questions, my hope is that you will begin to practice some, if not all, of these helpful tips. Remember they are tips. They are not a cure all. But the truth is that in all the questions: We need Christ.

I pray your continued journey in 2026 to be an Acts 2 Church will be found with limited stress and an abundance of peace and joy.

Have a blessed New Year!

Pastor Frank