Chipotle is one of my frequent visits for lunch; I cannot help but enjoy a delicious burrito bowl with some chips and guac.  As with any organization that does things well, there are often great insights that we can learn about ourselves or specifically about working in ministry.  Chipotle is no exception.

Do One Thing Well

If you want a lot of options for Mexican food, Chipotle isn't the place to choose.  But if you want an incredible burrito with some of the best ingredients, Chipotle will not leave you disappointed.  What Chipotle has realized in the creation of their simple menu is that it is more important to worry about doing a few things exceptionally well than trying to meet every possible taste in the Mexican style of food.

It's easy for people to want to be a jack-of-all trades, to be good at everything.  If we are not good at public speaking, we take classes to learn how to become a better public speaker.  If we are bad at math, we spend time studying how to better math students.  Certainly learning skills that we are weak in is valuable and learning new skills that we didn't have before is helpful, but the truth is when it comes to our strengths we should spend more time focusing on how to capitalize on our strengths than how to diversify our menus.

Skills and knowledge can and should be acquired, but talents—your recurring patterns of thought or feeling or behavior—are enduring, are resistant to change, are unique. I think we can help educate the world that the most depressing thing to say to somebody is, ‘You can be anything you want to be.’ - Marcus Buckingham

Making delicious burritos is in the DNA of Chipotle as a company; it would be a terrible decision to work against that DNA by trying to focus on making great churros.  Making exceptional burritos is something that Chipotle can do that no other company can do.

As you look at your own life, how has God wired you?  What are the innate patterns and talents that God has gifted you with that separate you from everyone else.  We all can and should learn new skills and knowledge, but what are the patterns in your behavior that make you who you are?  What are the strengths in your life - the things that you both do well and are extremely passionate about?  What is your burrito?