“Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.” (1 Chronicles 29:11)
As the orderly and peaceful transfer of power takes place in America at least once every eight years, we are reminded that greatness is defined not by the person who ascends to the Presidency but rather by the leadership of a nation founded on the principle of freedom. In 2016 – the man who would become President ran on the theme “Making America Great Again” frequently emphasizing what he personally would be able to do for our nation. He did this at the same time as the sitting President of the opposing party campaigned that not voting for his candidate would be a “personal insult” to his legacy. Author of inspiration William Arthur Ward once said, “Greatness is not found in possessions, power, position, or prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service, and character.” Unfortunately, most persons who rise to this position claim that they understand with absolute clarity what ails the nation and how to go about repairing it. However, in politics – humility and well-intended acts of service are often superseded by arrogance and divisiveness in order that ‘a means to an end’ is established.
It’s a mistake to allow the world to define greatness. It is not about rank and status. It’s not about how powerful we become, how rich we are or whether we have some notable achievement in politics or sports. “I’m the greatest” was a famous line of the late world heavyweight boxing champ, Muhammad Ali. His biographer Thomas Hauser, author of Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times, reflected on the champ following his death in 2016: “We attended a tribute to Muhammad at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. I made some opening remarks and referred to an incident that had occurred years earlier when Ali took a flight from Washington to New York. As the flight crew readied for take-off, an attendant instructed, ‘Mr. Ali; please buckle your seatbelt.’ ‘Superman don’t need no seatbelt,’ Ali informed her. ‘Mr. Ali,’ the flight attendant said sweetly. ‘Superman don’t need no plane.’ Ali fastened his seatbelt.”
Following a miracle where Jesus healed a boy possessed by an evil spirit, the crowd marveled at all He had done. The disciples told Him that they tried to stop a man driving out demons in His name because he was not one of ‘the chosen’ – meanwhile arguing who would be the greatest among them. “Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest” (Luke 9:37-50). Jesus seemed to be telling the disciples that our authority comes from God, not because we are a member of a select group. Later, Luke tells of another greatness dispute among the disciples following ‘The Last Supper.’ Jesus responds: “For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:27). Christ’s message to the disciples and to us was that if we want to be great in God’s kingdom, we must learn to be the servant of all.
Martin Luther King once stated, “Everybody can be great … because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” It is unfortunate that jockeying for position and establishing our legacy in a desire for greatness often diminishes servanthood. In his inaugural address on January 20, 2017, President Donald J. Trump uttered these words: “At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction that a nation exists to serve its citizens.” In that regard, those who strive for greatness should stand up less to demonstrate their power and learn to fall on their knees more as they seek God’s direction. When we begin to do that as a nation, then we will have attained a true understanding of what greatness truly is.
REFLECTION: What is the biggest obstacle you face as you seek to be a faithful servant of Christ? Where do you draw the line between a healthy self-esteem and pride? How do you face the struggle over the forces of this world and give in to the Spirit who lives within you (1 John 4:4)?
A NEW LOOKUP DEVOTION IS UPLOADED EACH WEEK. THE NEXT WEEKLY POSTING WILL BE ON SAT., JANUARY 28, 2017. COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED.