True Greatness!
Good Morning Friends,
We really should take more interest in what makes a person successful….significant …great. William Shakespeare is credited with saying that,”Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.”
But then he was writing the story line. Khalil Gibran is credited with the request that we, “Keep away from wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.” I think he was writing about being honest. Mahatma Gandhi once said that, “the greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” His message speaks more to compassion. Matthew Henry combines the two by saying, “Goodness makes greatness truly valuable, and greatness makes goodness much more serviceable.” But Daniel Webster understood the true foundation for greatness when he said, “A solemn and religious regard to spiritual and eternal things is an indispensable element of all True Greatness.”
Scripture: I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13 (ESV)
I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
Luke 7:28 (ESV)
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:12 (ESV)
“Let me tell you what’s going on here: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer; but in the kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him. For a long time now people have tried to force themselves into God’s kingdom. But if you read the books of the Prophets and God’s Law closely, you will see them culminate in John, teaming up with him in preparing the way for the Messiah of the kingdom. Looked at in this way, John is the ‘Elijah’ you’ve all been expecting to arrive and introduce the Messiah. “Are you listening to me? Really listening?
Matthew 11:11-15 (MSG)
Message: In an age where some power is distributed and some power is centralize the two seem to work together in a way that leaves a wake in our past as they cut through our history and into our future. That is why only with the test of time is greatness determined. But power, I do not believe, makes one great. Too many have laid aside the old virtues and now judge greatness by the power of fame, prestige, influence and wealth. Think for a moment about those that society presents before us as the great people of our time – Pope Francis, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Nelson Mandela. But then we as a society we also worship sports figures, rock stars and movie stars. One has to wonder how people will think of them in a decade…in a hundred or a thousand years. The ability to impersonate someone else in front of a camera is not the basis for greatness. A person’s skill at amassing money is not the foundation for greatness. One’s vocal quality and ability to entertain does not make a person great. Being at the center of power, whether that be in a business or in politics is not true greatness either. A person is not great because they achieved a position of power. Friends, fame comes and goes very quickly. Money is not a good test either for not only does it come and go quickly, but history reveals that most of the great men were poor. Special abilities may give a person a day in the sun and a sense of greatness, but that does not mean that the person is great. Jesus of course is great even now and it is interesting that he said that there were none greater than John the Baptist. The reason? Well, I think it boils down to simplicity, humility, and utility. If you want to be great, truly great in the estimation of the only one that really counts, God, then those are the characteristics you need to demonstrate. But let me be clear on this one point, seeking greatness is a lost cause if one first does not seek the truth of one’s own being. That is why we must focus on remaking ourselves into servants. Friends, we can package ourselves into a commodity or simply learn to give ourselves away in the love of Jesus.
Pray we stop trying to remake the world as a way of being great and spend more time remaking ourselves as intermediaries in the world. Pray we are called of God for a particular service and faithfully answer that call. Pray we are able to endure criticism without resentment. Pray we be like John the Baptist and seek the truth. Pray we have strong moral convictions that lead others to repentance. Pray we are humble. Pray we deny ourselves. Pray we serve others for the Kingdom. Pray we have the simplicity that is in Christ. Pray we are willing to pick up a towel and serve others. Pray we are useful. Pray we are humble.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 