How do we measure greatness? For those who are considered to be great in this world, several things are likely to be true about him or her. One, access to the person is controlled. That means you will probably have to go through several people to see or talk to a person who is great. Two, the person has a large sphere of influence. What he says or does affects what many others will say or do. And thirdly, the person exercises authority over others.
If none of the above things are true about you, it will be a tough sell to convince others that you are great—at least in this world. But in the Kingdom of God, “Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister [servant],” Jesus says (Matthew 20:26, KJV)! Jesus modeled this greatness when He came on earth. Though He was God manifested in the flesh, He came to serve those whom He had created!
It can be flattering for others to serve us. But to be great in the eyes of God, we must serve others.
Greatness in This World vs Greatness in the Kingdom
The desire to be great, according the standards of this world, can be relentless. And understandably so. Greatness in this world has its privileges. Those who measure up are portrayed as bigger than life. They can become household names. They have fans who nearly worship them. They make a trivial statement, and the quote makes the news headlines. When they walk in public places, they take all the oxygen out of the room.
Let me make one point abundantly clear. I did not write this blog post to discourage people of faith from pursuing their dreams in life. Nothing is wrong with Christians having worldly success and prominence.
The Bible is replete with promises from God to bless His people in this life for their faithfulness. But we must not lose sight of what constitutes greatness in the sight of the Lord. No matter what platform God has blessed us with, we must us use it to serve others—if we want to be great in Kingdom of God.
Greatness in this world is but for a season. But greatness in the Kingdom of God is forever.
Perhaps some of you reading this post have realized great success in life already. No doubt, God had His hand in what you have accomplished. Yes, you may have worked hard and made great sacrifices to get there. But He was the one who caused your labor to be fruitful. The important point to bear in mind is that God never places us in positions of great authority and influence for merely self-serving purposes but for the purpose of serving others.
Copyright © 2022 by Frank King. All rights reserved.