According to the Medical News Today, the average height of an American male is 5’9”. That would
mean that at 6’2”, I am above average. Is “average” a good thing or a bad thing? It really depends on
the situation: what a person is measuring. And…the word itself can be misleading in many cases. For
instance, in a group of 30 men whose average height is 5’10”, it is possible that no one is actually 5’10”
tall! No one is “average” height. In that instance, average doesn’t really mean anything, does it?
So…how would you describe an average Christian? And what qualities would be used to define an
average Christian? How many times do you pray a day? How many times to you read the Bible in a
week? Do you go to church services every Sunday? Do you go twice on a Sunday? What about
Wednesdays? If there was a survey taken based on those qualities what do you think an average
Christian would look like?
First of all, I think we shouldn’t want to settle for being an average Christian when it is based on those
types of numbers. Those things are, indeed, important when it comes to our closeness to God, our
Biblical intelligence, and our doctrinal understanding. And because they are important, we should want
to be way over the average in our pursuit of them. Average shouldn’t be good enough.
But what if I told you that those things are not the true measure of a Christian? I’ve known a lot of
Christians who, when measured against other Christians, were above average in Bible study, prayer, and
church attendance. Yet those things didn’t really affect how they presented their Christianity to the
world. That’s the most important part of measuring things. Are you compassionate, full of mercy,
understanding, patient, and generous? Do you forgive, help, and work? In your every day activities, do
people really see Christ in your desires and behavior? That’s the measure of your Christianity. And I
hope and pray that you are not satisfied with being just an “average” Christian in the things that count!
Say good things about your Savior and about His church here in Bluff Park.
Bro. Tony
mean that at 6’2”, I am above average. Is “average” a good thing or a bad thing? It really depends on
the situation: what a person is measuring. And…the word itself can be misleading in many cases. For
instance, in a group of 30 men whose average height is 5’10”, it is possible that no one is actually 5’10”
tall! No one is “average” height. In that instance, average doesn’t really mean anything, does it?
So…how would you describe an average Christian? And what qualities would be used to define an
average Christian? How many times do you pray a day? How many times to you read the Bible in a
week? Do you go to church services every Sunday? Do you go twice on a Sunday? What about
Wednesdays? If there was a survey taken based on those qualities what do you think an average
Christian would look like?
First of all, I think we shouldn’t want to settle for being an average Christian when it is based on those
types of numbers. Those things are, indeed, important when it comes to our closeness to God, our
Biblical intelligence, and our doctrinal understanding. And because they are important, we should want
to be way over the average in our pursuit of them. Average shouldn’t be good enough.
But what if I told you that those things are not the true measure of a Christian? I’ve known a lot of
Christians who, when measured against other Christians, were above average in Bible study, prayer, and
church attendance. Yet those things didn’t really affect how they presented their Christianity to the
world. That’s the most important part of measuring things. Are you compassionate, full of mercy,
understanding, patient, and generous? Do you forgive, help, and work? In your every day activities, do
people really see Christ in your desires and behavior? That’s the measure of your Christianity. And I
hope and pray that you are not satisfied with being just an “average” Christian in the things that count!
Say good things about your Savior and about His church here in Bluff Park.
Bro. Tony