Do you notice that many best sellers are the books that teach people how to be great, at least in some way? Great people are influential leaders. People value their opinions and look them up as role models. Who wouldn’t want to be great?
But many people have failed because they try to pursuit their greatness in their own way.
Adam and Eve tried once. To become great, they decided to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They received punishment instead (Gen 3)
Humans after the flood tried again. They decided to build the tower of Babel. Instead of success, their languages were confused, and they were scattered “over the face of the whole earth.” (Gen 11:10)
But one day, God called Abram (later changed name to Abraham), an obscure herdsman with no obvious talents and whose wife was barren. God promised him greatness.
1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
2 I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you;
I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him
As far as we know, this was first promise of greatness that God gave to a person. Abram didn’t seek out greatness, but God sought him out. It was purely God’s will and God’s grace.
Abram apparently responded immediately. “So Abram went, as the LORD had told him” (v4a). He had to leave many of those he loved behind, and he didn’t know where he was heading (v1). To trust and obey, putting faith into action, is the way to obtain greatness.
True greatness reflects God’s will and God’s way.
Abraham never saw the greatness God promised him by the time he died. His descendents, the Israelites, had to learn the way of greatness generation after generation. Whenever they tried to gain greatness on their own terms, they failed, until they lost their land and their nation and were reduced to become a people in exile. How could “all the people on earth” be blessed through them? (v3)
Then Jesus came. A descendant of Abraham, as well as the Son of God, He followed God’s will and God’s way. He trusted and obeyed God. He walked the Via Dolorosa – the Way of Suffering – and died on the cross. He rose again three days later. He reigns with the Father on His heavenly throne. He is the greatest human ever lived!
And the greatness of Abraham eventually came to the whole world through Jesus Christ. It is God’s will that we can experience true greatness through Him:
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (2 Peter 1:3-4)
Imagine how much influence a godly life can be on the world! If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you should have a life of greatness already, a life of influence and blessing to those around you.
How much do you treasure your new life in Christ? If you find yourself seeking greatness outside your identity in Jesus Christ, you are not on the right track, and you are heading to a defeat. So turn around and reconnect to Jesus as a branch to the Vine. Start to trust and obey God’s will for your life, daily. The fruit of true greatness will flow from your life.
Let’s pray:
Dear Lord, I thank You for giving me everything I need in order to live a godly life, as You have graciously promised. Forgive me for my attempts to pursue greatness apart from You. Please lead me continually, and fill me with Yourself, so that I may trust You and obey You, and You can use my life to influence and bless others for the sake of Your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
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