True Greatness

As a boy, I don’t remember ever aspiring to be a rich or famous person. Like most young boys I imagine I wanted to be like dad. After all, he was the smartest, the strongest, and knew everything. Surely dad must have grown weary of my many questions, though I have no recollection that he did. I’m sure my questions were no different than little boys ask all over the world and like other dad’s, he patiently answered them. I have one particular memory of feeling safe, standing beside him watching the storm as it tore up the trees in our back yard, while the rest of our family was safely in the basement.

Dad was a farmer and a tradesman, so it gave me ample opportunities to learn. One thing I remember is that he tried a lot of different things in life, and had lots of partially started inventions. Looking back with more mature understanding, I realized the many different types of work he tried, likely related to the need to provide an income for his family. Besides that he had an inventive mind as well as the ability to do many different things. He was not afraid to try something different or new. His motto was, “If they can do it, we can do it,” which of course didn’t always suit me and my brother so well. I particularly remember him  using that saying, while we were reassembling things after changing the clutch on the old John Deere. It took a little bit of help from a real mechanic, to tell us why we could not seem to get it back together. Dad was not powerfully successful financially in life, yet he was indeed a talented man who taught me many things.

As my little mind has now grown to an adult with children of my own, I have time to reflect on what dad really taught me. He was interested that I have the skills in life to be successful, but in truth it went deeper than that. He wanted me to serve God, which is where true greatness starts.

Is this not the same truth that our Heavenly Father desires for us? He has promised to take care of us in every way but He is most interested in us serving Him. The words of John seem to speak the heart of the Father when he says: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” 3 John 1:4

True greatness in the world and true greatness in the eyes of God are two different things. There are multiple accounts where Jesus teaches His disciples this lesson. One day a mother of two of His disciples came to Him requesting that her two sons would sit on either side of Him in His Kingdom. I suppose she thought well of her sons and felt them to be worthy of that place. However, Jesus used the opportunity to teach them a lesson on true greatness. After telling them that it was not up to Him, but up to His Father to decide who sat in those places, He gave them this lesson.

But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Matthew 20:25-28 In the world: honor, fame, riches, and places of position and authority are all sought after, but if we want to be truly great, it will be in worshiping God and being a servant to others.

One day Jesus and His disciples were in the temple watching the people as they put their money in the offering. Apparently, there were people from all walks of life; some rich, some poor, and I suppose some were just average people. The rich were putting their money in the collection, possibly with a little satisfaction as their coins jingled in the coffer. There may have even been some competition to see who could put the most in. Then along comes this very poor woman, and without fanfare, she puts in two mites. All that she had, her whole living. She had a true heart, a loving trusting heart. Jesus noticed and was moved, the disciples noticed as well. Then He taught them one more thing about His kingdom;  And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:  For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had. Luke 21:1-4 Jesus saw the heart, the love she had, and what she was willing to sacrifice for her Lord. It doesn’t take a rich or important man to be great but true greatness is in the eyes of the Lord.  As James says: “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” James 4:10

Living a daily surrendered life to God is the only way to experience the true greatness and the peace which only He can give. He, much like our earthly fathers, desires a living daily relationship with us. Only then will we understand true greatness.

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels. Luke 9:23-26