How Have You Been Wired?

wiring

Over the last decade or so there seems to have been a never ending supply of TV talent shows which prove that yes, Australia’s definitely got talent, but we’ve also got a lot of people who have absolutely no idea that they’re completely lacking in any musical ability whatsoever.

We love the back stories of those who’ve done it tough, the very young, the very old, the very unlikely who have all stepped up to audition and amazed us. We’ve wondered how such talent has remained hidden for so long.

On the other hand, we’ve been gobsmacked by the many who turn up with no clue that the only reason the producers have put them through to the television auditions is so that we can all laugh at their expense. That’s one of the grubby sides of reality television. Maybe that’s an idea to be explored at another time.

We’re all wired so differently.

No matter how much we wish we had a specific set of skills, sometimes we’re just wired for something else and if we spend our lives wishing for the skills or talents we see in others, we’re destined for an unhappy life. Even worse, we never get to develop the skills and talents God has wired into us.

I remember many years ago talking to an old family friend who knew that one member of my family was interested in radio. She thought it was one of my brothers. I found that quite amusing. I could never imagine him wanting to work in radio.

That got me thinking. How is it that five siblings, brought up in the same home, could all go on to lead such different lives? Sure, there are lots of similarities between the siblings, but there are also some big differences.

The thought of being a high school maths teacher leaves me cold but one of my brothers has been doing just that for more years than I can remember and he’s great at it. I have a brother who’s been involved in youth work for many years. I’d make a mess of that but my brother does it brilliantly. My sister was a nurse and another brother has worked in a range of industries that I could never master.

How is it that we are all wired so differently?

I am constantly amazed at seeing people derive such great job satisfaction from a range of jobs that would send me crazy. We are all so incredibly different.

I love what I’m doing and I’m more than happy that God wired me the way he did to enjoy the various jobs I’ve had over the years. I’m also glad that he wired others to be technical geeks, cleaners, carpenters, builders, doctors, pilots, fence installers, gardeners and so on.

David wrote the following in the Psalms.

“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvellous–how well I know it.”

I reckon it’s time we stopped wishing we were knit together like those we see around us or those on the telly, and start living out the marvellous workmanship of God in our own lives. We need people around us who can gently tell us when we’re trying to be something we’re not and can celebrate the direction we should be going.



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About the author

Rodney Olsen

Rodney is a husband, father, cyclist, blogger and podcaster from Perth Western Australia.

He has worked in radio at Perth's media ministry Sonshine for over 25 years and has previously worked at ministries such as Compassion Australia and Bible Society.

The views he expresses here are his own.

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1 Comment

  • At one point I was so discouraged about the ministry I wondered if God wanted me to do anything else. “Like what?” my wife said. Dead silence. I am doing what I wired to do. In another vein: I don’t watch those TV shows but people have shown me a video or two and i am totally embarrassed for people who have been told by family members (or church people) they can sing and can’t carry a tune in a bucket with a lid on it.

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