True Greatness

Since I was young, I wanted to do something significant. I was knocked down much of my life and I truly wanted to believe that God was going to enable me to do something great that would compensate for the abuse I faced as a child. When I was in college I prayed that God would help me be a strong leader, a person others would look at and say, ‘There goes a man of God. There goes someone I want to be like.”

It was a long time before I realized my motivation was wrong. God is not calling people to be great; he is calling people to be platforms on which he reveals his greatness. As I’ve matured in my faith and in my relationship with God, I realized I don’t want people to look at me and see greatness. Because no matter how many good things I do in life, there are just as many not-so-great things I’ve done. There are things I don’t want to be remembered for. And no matter how many “great” things I do, I can never do anything that really matters – like give someone salvation, forgiveness, adoption into God’s family, end eternal life.

I can’t give things that have eternal value, only God can do that. Every good thing I do is from God in me. Every person I love is based on God’s love in me. Every time I lend a shoulder to cry on, every time I encourage or comfort someone it is because God in me wants to encourage and comfort. In other words, any good in me is from God and only he is truly great.

I no longer have the desire to do something significant that brings me glory, but I do desire to bring glory to God so that others see his goodness, his mercy, his compassion, his nature as a Father and a Mother, his strength and his greatness.

When I bring toiletry items for our mission serving the incarcerated women at Talbert House, it is to bring glory to God. When I bring in loose change for the school children in Haiti, I know God gets the glory. When I travel and encourage others, it’s for God’s glory. And when I write and preach and counsel and pray and love, it’s all so that you and I can be constantly reminded how truly great God is.

I pray I can be the platform upon which God reveals his greatness. Let this be your prayer as well. — Rick