God’s Bell Curve

by John C. Westervelt

There are times when I observe someone doing something that I wish I were able to do, but can’t. At those times, I find comfort in visualizing God’s bell curve. All of God’s people are positioned at different places on His many bell curves.

A bell curve has the shape of a bell where a few people with the least amount of a specific gift are on the left, and the few that are the most gifted are accumulated on the right. The broad middle of the bell curve is filled with those who are average in a given area of giftedness.

I often think about God’s plan to create every person uniquely. He seems to have a bell curve for each of many traits such as leadership, creativity, assertiveness, vision, sociability, outgoingness, common sense, athletic ability, mental toughness, discipline, physical strength, physical appearance, artistic nature, sense of humor, dependability, independence, passion, caring, empathy and kindness.

As you think about your position on each of these curves and see that you are a unique combination of all the curves, you realize that you are the only one who has been created just like you. God’s family needs your unique combination of gifts.

On one of these bell curves, or on one you might add to the list, you will be one of the few that excels. That is the gift that God wants you to use most. Over the years, I have been concerned about the constraints of my shyness. I now understand that God created me to express His empathy.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11; Romans 12:4-8; Ephesians 4:11-16