Deep down, I believe all followers of Jesus desire the same thing.
We want to finish our race. Upon our death we long to hear the Father say “well done, my good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21). We want to receive the crown of life.
And at the same time, many of us feel that only the best among us will get there.
The ones who follow Christ till their death are those who are the most extreme and the strongest. The best among us are priests who forsake all family hopes to serve the church. They're missionaries who risk everything to deliver the good news of the Gospel.
In reality, the situation is quite different.
True genius
What makes a true genius?
Napoleon Bonaparte once answered with this reply.
"The man who can do the average thing when everyone else around him is losing his mind."
While Napoleon is no model for Christian virtue, this comment makes a striking point.
The truly genius and successful among us are the ones who stay calm, doing the average when everyone loses their bearings. They are the ones whose focus is not swayed by the chaos of those around them.
Holding steady, they persevere.
Average faithfulness
The crown of life is not reserved for a special few but the average, faithful many.
This faith doesn't look like writing a best seller or preaching unforgettable sermons. It's more akin to baking bread for your neighbor, stacking chairs after church, and giving what you have without others knowing. It's living this way when everything around you is falling apart.
Our Father is not with-holding his “well done” for spiritual Allstars. It’s for all who find strength in repentance and rest—in quietness and trust (Isaiah 30:15). It’s for those with a consistent follow through, not the most home runs.
And the essence of this faithfulness is knowing that—at the end of the day—it’s not our own faithfulness we’re judged by.
The real secret is less working for our own salvation and realizing that we’ve already received it in Jesus. Our average faithfulness is actually living freely into the gift of life we already have.
Ain’t that good?
Amen