Greatness
There is a longing for greatness woven deep in my heart. I want to be important and needed. I want to be seen for what I know, and can do...I want my potential...what I imagine I am capable of....to be expressed in reality of my life. This is impressed on the very fabric of my heart. I see it there when I imagine my future. Who I believe I am to become is the primary identity that drives my choices. Bit by Bit, God is revealing to me what He made me for. This is altogether exhilarating and frustrating at the same time! It is supposed to work this way.
Every person was fashioned to be great. In Jesus' body, there is a lot of talk about leaders and followers. The Bible is clear that everyone, when living in full agreement with God, should be a leader AND a follower. God didn't create two classes of people. He created a family...a large living organism where every part has a distinct function... a purpose. The hand leads in some areas, and the foot in others. The hand needs the foot and the foot needs the hand. This is how Jesus' body is supposed to function.
Granted, the family is way confused at the moment, because of great great grandpa Adam's rebellion, but the truth is you and I were created for a unique measure of greatness...to lead in an area of life that would perfectly satisfy our hearts. We are all meant to be leaders.
So this is the dilemma I find in the word and in the world: I was created to be important and great, to lead in some sphere of life prepared for me, yet it mostly seems like only God and I know it. I think much of the world is frustrated because there is a desire for greatness woven into each heart, and we are waiting for someone important to notice it, or for someone to teach us how to unlock it. Most people are hoping someone "important" will take notice of them and draw them into the future they know God desires for them to have. This is a divine setup! It is actually the very choice for greatness staring me in the face when I feel this frustration, and what I choose will determine the measure of glory...the measure of greatness...I will walk in forever.
Jesus invited anyone who wanted to, to go ahead and grow the "seed" of greatness planted in their hearts by God. He told everyone precisely how to be great in this time, and in the age to come, when He brings heaven to earth. Anyone who wants to be great can be..we can even choose the level of greatness we desire...right up to sitting with Jesus on His throne.
Revelation 3:20-21 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
Jesus' promotion program works exactly the opposite of the world's. In the world's system, you work hard to be noticed, you do things that elevate your visibility, hoping "the most important people" will see you, recognize they need you to further their own interest, and the value you could offer them will entice them to "bring you up" where they are. This is the way it works in most people's minds at work, in ministry, in relationships, and clubs.
Jesus holds contrary values to the world's value, and so His promotion program works in a contrary manner! He is God and was with God. From forever past, He has been the most important person in all of creation. He laid that aside, took on flesh, agreed to live as a man full of the Holy Spirit, and put away His divine privilege of power in order to save the object of His desire...me and you!
Philippians 2:6-9 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges ; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names,
Jesus is the head of the family...the CEO of the organization. He desires the organization reflect the values of the leader. The mission statement of the organization is that "Love Would Abound."
Jesus freely offers love to anyone who would have it...with that love comes value, dignity, authority, revelation...and greatness. This is the value system of our organization.
Because sin entered the world, the family business was thrown into some confusion. In an attempted hostile takeover, another CEO, from a much different organization, attempted to run the show for a while. Satan has a much different value system than Jesus. Instead of love abounding, satan desired that power would be consolidated under himself. As a rule, satan trades power for loyalty. This is what most of the world believes really works: "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours." God freely gives, and satan is known for trading:
Ezekiel 28:14-16, 18 “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you. “By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within, And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones. “You defiled your sanctuaries By the multitude of your iniquities, By the iniquity of your trading; Therefore I brought fire from your midst; It devoured you, And I turned you to ashes upon the earth In the sight of all who saw you.
Even in the church, while most people won't admit it, or really spend much time thinking about it, many people have some kind of hybrid model of promotion that has Jesus' values stained with satan's ways. But Jesus is nothing like satan. We don't need to be noticed by anyone, or given a shot at greatness by any important people. Jesus said if I want greatness it is available to me right now:
Matthew 5:19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus said this when talking about the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount. To choose greatness is really to choose Jesus' lifestyle. Jesus didn't come to be elevated...but to lower Himself:
Matthew 20:26-28 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
The Sermon on the Mount lifestyle is the recipe for greatness in the family organization that will last for eternity. It is simply an invitation to live in a way the CEO calls "great." I do this by taking a personal inventory of how I am living compared to what Jesus says is available to me (recognizing my spiritual poverty). Then, in the areas I don't measure up, I mourn the difference. I ask, seek, and knock to be more like Jesus and to live like He said I could. This incrementally moves my heart closer and closer to His. Then I make secret choices to fuel my heart to grow in agreement with Jesus...fasting, praying, giving my time and money...blessing those who resist me...praying for those who offend me. This creates a culture in my life that agrees with culture of Jesus' organization! As I do this, he grows my influence in the lives of those around me. Step by step, as I learn to abide in Him, Jesus causes me to walk in the paths I was meant to lead in...the path of life that satisfies my heart's desire to be great in His eyes AND the eyes of those I was meant to lead. It also softens my heart to follow others in humility!
Jesus is coming back soon to physically run the organization in person, but until then, He has asked anyone who shares His values to live the way He lives and the teach the rest of the organization, in numbers as small as ones and twos, what He truly values. Anyone who takes Jesus up on this offer will be promoted to a very important position when He arrives.
In Jesus' organization, He takes a personal interest in each member. Anyone can choose greatness, as long as they let Jesus' process guide them. He is the one who's opinion matters most, and He doesn't miss a thing. He knows the nuances of my choices. The choices I make to agree with Him move my heart closer to greatness in His kingdom. The choices I make to impress someone in the world don't...it is that simple. He knows who I am trying to impress whether I realize it or not. He says, "make it your goal to agree with me, and I will notice you every time...even giving a cup of cold water to someone else because you are trying to agree with me will elevate you forever in my organization"
Matthew 10:42 And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”
This is truly the way God designed us to lead and follow. Jesus desires that everyone be a leader...and everyone be a servant!
Luke 14:8-11 “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! “Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Every person was fashioned to be great. In Jesus' body, there is a lot of talk about leaders and followers. The Bible is clear that everyone, when living in full agreement with God, should be a leader AND a follower. God didn't create two classes of people. He created a family...a large living organism where every part has a distinct function... a purpose. The hand leads in some areas, and the foot in others. The hand needs the foot and the foot needs the hand. This is how Jesus' body is supposed to function.
Granted, the family is way confused at the moment, because of great great grandpa Adam's rebellion, but the truth is you and I were created for a unique measure of greatness...to lead in an area of life that would perfectly satisfy our hearts. We are all meant to be leaders.
So this is the dilemma I find in the word and in the world: I was created to be important and great, to lead in some sphere of life prepared for me, yet it mostly seems like only God and I know it. I think much of the world is frustrated because there is a desire for greatness woven into each heart, and we are waiting for someone important to notice it, or for someone to teach us how to unlock it. Most people are hoping someone "important" will take notice of them and draw them into the future they know God desires for them to have. This is a divine setup! It is actually the very choice for greatness staring me in the face when I feel this frustration, and what I choose will determine the measure of glory...the measure of greatness...I will walk in forever.
Jesus invited anyone who wanted to, to go ahead and grow the "seed" of greatness planted in their hearts by God. He told everyone precisely how to be great in this time, and in the age to come, when He brings heaven to earth. Anyone who wants to be great can be..we can even choose the level of greatness we desire...right up to sitting with Jesus on His throne.
Revelation 3:20-21 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
Jesus' promotion program works exactly the opposite of the world's. In the world's system, you work hard to be noticed, you do things that elevate your visibility, hoping "the most important people" will see you, recognize they need you to further their own interest, and the value you could offer them will entice them to "bring you up" where they are. This is the way it works in most people's minds at work, in ministry, in relationships, and clubs.
Jesus holds contrary values to the world's value, and so His promotion program works in a contrary manner! He is God and was with God. From forever past, He has been the most important person in all of creation. He laid that aside, took on flesh, agreed to live as a man full of the Holy Spirit, and put away His divine privilege of power in order to save the object of His desire...me and you!
Philippians 2:6-9 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges ; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names,
Jesus is the head of the family...the CEO of the organization. He desires the organization reflect the values of the leader. The mission statement of the organization is that "Love Would Abound."
Jesus freely offers love to anyone who would have it...with that love comes value, dignity, authority, revelation...and greatness. This is the value system of our organization.
Because sin entered the world, the family business was thrown into some confusion. In an attempted hostile takeover, another CEO, from a much different organization, attempted to run the show for a while. Satan has a much different value system than Jesus. Instead of love abounding, satan desired that power would be consolidated under himself. As a rule, satan trades power for loyalty. This is what most of the world believes really works: "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours." God freely gives, and satan is known for trading:
Ezekiel 28:14-16, 18 “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you. “By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within, And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones. “You defiled your sanctuaries By the multitude of your iniquities, By the iniquity of your trading; Therefore I brought fire from your midst; It devoured you, And I turned you to ashes upon the earth In the sight of all who saw you.
Even in the church, while most people won't admit it, or really spend much time thinking about it, many people have some kind of hybrid model of promotion that has Jesus' values stained with satan's ways. But Jesus is nothing like satan. We don't need to be noticed by anyone, or given a shot at greatness by any important people. Jesus said if I want greatness it is available to me right now:
Matthew 5:19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus said this when talking about the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount. To choose greatness is really to choose Jesus' lifestyle. Jesus didn't come to be elevated...but to lower Himself:
Matthew 20:26-28 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
The Sermon on the Mount lifestyle is the recipe for greatness in the family organization that will last for eternity. It is simply an invitation to live in a way the CEO calls "great." I do this by taking a personal inventory of how I am living compared to what Jesus says is available to me (recognizing my spiritual poverty). Then, in the areas I don't measure up, I mourn the difference. I ask, seek, and knock to be more like Jesus and to live like He said I could. This incrementally moves my heart closer and closer to His. Then I make secret choices to fuel my heart to grow in agreement with Jesus...fasting, praying, giving my time and money...blessing those who resist me...praying for those who offend me. This creates a culture in my life that agrees with culture of Jesus' organization! As I do this, he grows my influence in the lives of those around me. Step by step, as I learn to abide in Him, Jesus causes me to walk in the paths I was meant to lead in...the path of life that satisfies my heart's desire to be great in His eyes AND the eyes of those I was meant to lead. It also softens my heart to follow others in humility!
Jesus is coming back soon to physically run the organization in person, but until then, He has asked anyone who shares His values to live the way He lives and the teach the rest of the organization, in numbers as small as ones and twos, what He truly values. Anyone who takes Jesus up on this offer will be promoted to a very important position when He arrives.
In Jesus' organization, He takes a personal interest in each member. Anyone can choose greatness, as long as they let Jesus' process guide them. He is the one who's opinion matters most, and He doesn't miss a thing. He knows the nuances of my choices. The choices I make to agree with Him move my heart closer to greatness in His kingdom. The choices I make to impress someone in the world don't...it is that simple. He knows who I am trying to impress whether I realize it or not. He says, "make it your goal to agree with me, and I will notice you every time...even giving a cup of cold water to someone else because you are trying to agree with me will elevate you forever in my organization"
Matthew 10:42 And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”
This is truly the way God designed us to lead and follow. Jesus desires that everyone be a leader...and everyone be a servant!
Luke 14:8-11 “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! “Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
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