The Only Greatness Worth Having

We all have great ambitions.  We all want to feel we have accomplished something of value.  There is a drive in each of us to leave a legacy of some kind.  We might initially measure our greatness by the world’s point of view, or what the world sees as worthy aspiration.  So then, if my position is small or humble it might be easy to declare my life a waste or unsuccessful. 

So many of us in the world today strive their entire lives to bring upon themselves a certain status, or self fulfilled title as a way to reach the "ultimate self".  There is a big push to "be the best self you can be" or to find "a new awareness of yourself"; this might make sense if this was the only world I were to live in.  Luckily, it is not. 

I have seen myself as a seeker of the great.  We all desire to hear others speak of our own greatness.  Who doesn’t like accolades over what you have accomplished?  I've found myself wanting to write great things, so that I might be lifted up.  Although it’s not wrong to desire greatness, this is after all a trait that God Himself instilled into us, but it is wrong to be self seeking.  There is a great danger in being successful on your own terms. 

Jesus said it is difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom. (Matthew 19:24 (New International Version, ©2011)²⁴ Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”) Why? Not because wealth or money is bad, but because they have so much of themselves invested into this life, into their treasures here, it’s harder to let go of those things, the things you put your blood, sweat, and tears into, in order to pursue your assignment in the next stage, eternity.  There is a song out there by Lecrae that says “‘cause if I do it by myself I'm scared that I'll succeed, and no longer trust in you, I'll only trust in me."  When you are successful by your own terms, you feel like you can tackle this on your own, not looking for your eternal assignment.  Why would you if this one is working out so well for you?

It is futile to bring about ultimate greatness in this life.  Are we not living to see the ultimate crown, the crown that Jesus will bestow upon us in the next life?  As much as I love to hear how God is blessing others through my writings or my life, I would gladly forgo greatness on this Earth, so I could obtain true greatness and acclaim from God.  Mike Bickle writes, "I am no different than the rest of the world in my longing to be great.  I'm just determined to focus on seeking it in a different time frame."

I remember hearing as a kid that what you do on this Earth will some how pass over into eternity as some sort of a payment for how well you lived your life.  It felt like some kind of reward chart, a way to get us to do what our parents wanted us to, without them having to dole out any prizes now.  Sounds convenient anyway, and I have to admit, I’m very tempted to use it on my own kids.

But I’m realizing now, as much as this life is a chance to “store up our reward in Heaven” (Matthew 5:12), it’s also a training ground for what our next mission in eternity will be.  God never appoints us to anything without providing a process of preparation.

  I always thought my “job” would be over as soon as I die.  Heaven will be my vacation.  Have you ever heard anyone say, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead?”  Yes, Heaven will be wonderful, you won’t be stresses, sad, in pain, or tired, but I really don’t think we’ll be sitting around playing harps for a billion years either. 

Did you realize we will be Kings in Heaven? (Revelation 5:10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”)  You are set to rule aside the Maker of the Universe!  There might be a few things that need to be taken care of.  Not to mention the fact that we will need to prepare ourselves for the millennial reign.  A thousand years of God’s government reigning on this Earth, and God has given us this chance to train for it, here and now! 

Matthew 18:4 Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Most of our first jobs are positions no one else wants to fill, the drive thru window at McDonalds, the cashier at Wal-Mart, the college kid taking out the garbage at the gas station.  We start on the bottom in an ambition to work our way to the top.  We pray this isn’t all our future holds and hope for greatness in the future.

This is much the same way this entire life should play out for us as Christians.  We lower ourselves to take the positions that no one else wants to fill.  We become servant minded, doing the little, the dirty, the thankless, in order to get greatness in our next position.  We humble ourselves, we are not above any work that the Lord may call us to. 

There is much to learn in a “lower” or “servant-minded” position.  First off, I have much less to loose than someone who has an impressive ministry or position, so I’m willing to take more risks when God asks me to.  Or if I do have a large ministry, and if I’m still servant minded, I already know that it’s not mine to loose.  I didn’t create any of it, but it was all from God.  It’s not as hard to get rid of something if you didn’t pay for it.   If my position is “little and unseen” I won’t be tempted to do it for Earthly recognition, but truly unto the Lord.  And it will undoubtedly create an endurance through difficulties and meekness that is not obtainable when you already have it all. 

Meekness:  enduring injury with patience and without resentment 

“The measure to what we develop in love, meekness, and revelation during our lives now determines our positions and functions in God’s government to come and for all eternity.  Our ministries in the age to come have nothing to do with how much we accomplish outwardly in this age, but rather how much we develop inwardly, there exists a dynamic continuity between our lives now and what happens to us in the next age. “  -Mike Bickle 

With the exception of Pam on the Office(she walked into work one day and told Gabe[her boss] she was hired as the building manager, there was no such position, but she made it up and took it), very few of us walk through the doors of a company and tell the boss what position we are taking.  God doesn’t work that way either.  We don’t go before the thrown and start demanding greatness or positions of authority or power.  Those titles and jobs are given.  They are bestowed upon us when He sees we are ready, not when we think we are ready.  God is the only one who knows our hearts and our intention, He may give you greatness in this life, but it is a temporal greatness that is easily lost, stolen, or taken away.  People(mostly the world) will gladly take your great position at the very first chance they see you loosing grasp of it.  The highest positions, the ones that will last will be handed out to all of us in the next stage, the millennial reign, and as kings and queens in Heaven.

I would love nothing more than to jump into full time writing and ministry.  Ever since I was in first grade, I knew I wanted to be a writer, and look, its taken me 24 years to start a blog.  But I have to be offered the next position, and I know that right now is not the right time.  God has me doing other assignments, which are just as important.  He has called me, but He has also said, not quite yet.  I’ll just keep waiting and listening for Him to call me out, and until then, I’ll prepare for the next step.

So use this time wisely, learn, and train for the position that will really matter and the position that will really last.