All Christians should want to be great servants of God. But God’s standard for greatness totally differs from that of the world. So, before we can proceed to be great in the eyes of God, we must know what is greatness in His eyes.
One day Jesus’ disciples discussed who was the greatest among themselves. Jesus used that moment as an occasion to teach them about greatness in the eyes of God.
First, Jesus told them about those who are great in this world. He said, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors” (Luke 22:25, KJV). Two key words in the verse above are lordship and authority. Those regarded as being great in this world exercise authority or lordship over others.
Then Jesus revealed the key to greatness in the Kingdom of God: “But he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve” (verse 26).
Accordingly, if you want to be great in the eyes of God, you must do what you do with the heart of a servant. This way to greatness goes against the grain of thinking in our world.
Jesus used Himself as an example of greatness in the eyes of God. He reminded the disciples that though He was their Lord, “I am among you as he that serveth” (verse 27). At one time, Jesus who was God manifested in the flesh, went as far as washing the disciples’ feet!
Greatness In All Walks of Life
You don’t have to be a member of the clergy to be great in the Kingdom. Nor an award-winning gospel singer. No matter what you do in life, you can apply Jesus’ teaching on greatness to your life. Here are a few examples.
1. In the ministry. Are you an evangelist or a pastor? Perhaps you enjoy the associated financial benefits and the notoriety. Many people look up to you. If you are not careful, however, you can become so focused on the perks and popularity that you forget about being a servant.
Sad but true, some church leaders act like they deserve to be treated like a king or a lord over God’s people. But to be great in the eyes of God, those who are the greatest must be as those who serve.
2. In the workplace. Being a Christian businessman or woman places you in a position of authority over others. You should be the boss you were hired to be. But do it with the heart of a servant. You should be a leader that people want to be around. Do genuinely care about the people who work under you. Also, commit yourself to treating everyone with dignity and fairness—if you want to be great in the eyes of God.
The greater your platform is the greater your temptation may be to adopt a superiority complex. But also, the greater your platform, the more opportunity you have to make life better for others.
3. At home. The same reasoning holds for us as parents. Greatness in parenting results from faithfulness in serving and leading by example. Being a lord over our children and telling them to “do as I say and not as you see me do” is parenting at its worst.
Conclusion
In serving the Lord it’s not just what we do but how we do what we do. We should do all things as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23). To be great in the eyes of God requires us to have the heart of a servant even as He uses us to do great things in life and for the Kingdom.
How committed are you to being great in the eyes of God?
Copyright © 2025 by Frank King. All rights reserved.
