Too Good

“Sometimes it doesn’t pay to be too good at what you do.”

That advice was coming from a woman who had been born and raised in Massachusetts and, consequently, she spoke with characteristic vowel sounds that made whatever she said sound curiously gentle to me.  I liked hearing her talk and I also wondered what was behind that statement so I was glad when she went on to explain.  

“Once I caught [sounds like ‘cot’] a chicken for the pot.  Had to butcher it myself.  Left a number of those pin feather ends under the skin, though,” she said with a chuckle, leaving me to apply her conclusion. Sometimes it doesn’t pay to be too good at what you do because you might be called upon to do it more often.

That applies, however, only when we don’t want to be called upon again.  Perhaps we don’t want others to assume that we will do whatever it is, that we don’t want to be taken for granted.  Perhaps we just react badly to being told what to do by someone else.  Perhaps we simply don’t care for this job.  Then, doing something reluctantly or doing it poorly probably is likely to get us off the hook when that task comes around again.  Or we could just say “no, thank you,” but that might seem uncomfortable.

In any case, when I look at it that way, my soft-spoken friend is right and also pretty clever.  It's true that sometimes being competent does not pay, that is, it doesn’t benefit me.  What’s in it for me?  A lot of work.  Few rewards.

But Jesus looks at this sort of thing differently.  He isn't describing drudgery when he teaches, “You have shown yourself trustworthy in a very small matter and you shall have charge of ten cities.”  (Luke 19:17 NEB)  Jesus is announcing good news!  

Ten cities.  That’s quite a lot of responsibility.  And quite a prominent position – one I might aspire to if I want people to look up to me, or one that I might avoid if I don’t like having a lot of responsibility.  But it’s also an expanded sphere of influence within which to operate using the values of my faith -- a position from which to offer good to the world.  Those who leave pinfeathers might seem harmless, but if they are put in positions of even more influence, think of what the world will have to choke down!

In a CBS This Morning show interview recently, Tyler Summit summarized the series of difficulties that his mother (coach Pat Summit) has faced by saying, "I believe God gives us platforms."  It struck me that this is the way to receive all circumstances of our lives, not just the crucial, but also the ordinary.  Everything we do says something about ourselves.  As we practice our faith in the daily details, we are not only improving, but also proving that we are ready for what lies ahead.  Everything we do says something distinctive about who we worship.  

We are called to be those who understand even the smallest task as an opportunity to show that we have caught (or ‘cot’) on to our Lord’s way of offering healing and hope to the world he so loves. 

Even grace and peace can be delivered in very small packages.

Pastor Shirley