📖 “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
John 10:10
Average by Edmund Gaudet
“Average” is what the failures claim to be when their family and friends ask them why they are not more successful.
“Average” is the top of the bottom, the best of the worst, the bottom of the top, the worst of the best. Which of these are you?🤔
“Average” means being run-of-the-mill, mediocre, insignificant, an also-ran, a nonentity.
Being “average” is the lazy person’s cop-out; it’s lacking the guts to take a stand in life; it’s living by default.
Being “average” is to take up space for no purpose; to take the trip through life, but never to pay the fare; to return no interest for God’s investment in you.
Being “average” is to pass one’s life away with time, rather than to pass one’s time away with life; it’s to kill time, rather than to work it to death.
To be “average” is to be forgotten once you pass from this life.
The successful are remembered for their contributions; the failures are remembered because they tried; but the “average,” the silent majority, is just forgotten.
To be “average” is to commit the greatest crime one can against one’s self, humanity, and one’s God.
The saddest epitaph is this: “Here lies Mr. and Ms. Average — here lies the remains of what might have been, except for their belief that they were only “average.”
Gaudet’s words strip away the illusion of comfort in mediocrity.
“Average” is not neutral — it’s the refusal to rise, to risk, to live with courage.
It wastes God’s investment — time, gifts, breath, opportunities.
The “average” leave no legacy; they are forgotten, not because they failed, but because they never truly tried.
The epitaph of average is: “what might have been.”
This isn’t just about worldly success. It’s about faithfulness. Jesus spoke of servants entrusted with talents (Matthew 25:14–30). The tragedy wasn’t the servant who failed trying — it was the one who buried what he had been given, paralysed by fear and false humility.
Gaudet’s challenge echoes heaven’s call: Don’t waste your one, God-breathed life. You are not “average.” You are created in the image of God, called to steward what He’s placed in your hands — creativity, compassion, courage. Even small acts of obedience ripple into eternity.
The world often tempts us to settle — to blend in, to play it safe, to live “average.” But average is not God’s design for you. You were created in His image, fearfully and wonderfully made, entrusted with gifts only you can carry into this world.
To live “average” is to bury those gifts, to shrink back in fear, or to believe the lie that you are insignificant. But God calls you higher. He doesn’t ask for perfection; He asks for faithfulness. Even your small offerings, surrendered to Him, are multiplied for eternal impact.
Failures are remembered because they dared to try. The faithful are remembered for how they loved. But the “average” fades into silence. You are not average. In Christ, you are chosen, beloved, and anointed to shine.
When you create, when you serve, when you love courageously, you are living the abundant life Jesus promised. Not safe, not mediocre, but purposeful, radiant, and overflowing.
Reframe
“Average” says: play it safe, don’t risk, don’t shine.
God says:
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you (Isaiah 60:1).
The enemy whispers “You’re ordinary — nothing special.”
But the Spirit affirms:
“You are My workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which I prepared in advance for you to do” (Ephesians 2:10).
Every brushstroke, every word, every step of courage breaks you free from “average” and anchors you in abundance.
Reflection:
Where have I been tempted to shrink back into “average” in my faith, creativity, or relationships?🤔
What gifts, dreams, or opportunities has God placed in me that I’ve buried?🤔
How can I step into His abundance today instead of playing small?🤔
What’s one courageous step I can take this week to move from “average” to “abundant”?🤔
Life Application:
Each morning this week, pause to thank God for one unique gift or ability He has placed within you. Ask how you can use it today to bless someone else or glorify Him. Refuse to compare or diminish what you have — instead, celebrate it as part of His abundant design.
Affirmation:
I am not called to average. I am fearfully and wonderfully made, filled with the Holy Spirit, and designed for a life of abundance and purpose in Christ.
Creative Prompt:
Create a small piece of art — a drawing, collage, or journal spread — contrasting “average” and “abundant.” Use symbols like seeds, vines, or golden cracks to illustrate how God brings life and beauty where you once felt ordinary.
Closing Prayer:
Lord, thank You that I am not average in Your eyes. You have created me with purpose and filled me with Your Spirit. Break off every lie that tempts me to play small or hide my light. Help me to walk boldly in the fullness of who You’ve made me to be, so that my life reflects Your glory.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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