True Greatness

True Greatness
What is true greatness of a person? Great people define it in simple yet deep terms while Jesus Christ gave the ultimate example of greatness :" He who is greatest among you will be your servant".Many times our eyes admire the successful people in business or different areas of activity; the more money, the better. Yet, God measures us by other standards, I am always amazed to see how easy it is to be great in the eyes of God… apparently easy, because it might be difficult, especially in our nowadays society when being the leader is the most hunted position; and I am not saying it is wrong to want to be the best in what you are doing! On the contrary, each of us should be the best versions of ourselves in whatever we are good at, however the "soft blanket of success" should be kept in its place and not over our eyes.

Jesus did not rebuke HIS disciples for their willingness to be the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven! He simply tells them how to achieve that, here are Jesus’ words:

"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes ME." Matthew 18:1-9

This means that we should have a forgiving and pure heart just as children do: "Brothers, don't be children in thoughts, yet in malice be babies, but in thoughts be mature." 1 Corinthians 14:20"For everyone who takes milk is without experience of the word of righteousness: he is a child." Hebrews 5:13

So for the rest we have to be mature: "Yet when we are among mature believers we do speak words of wisdom; a wisdom not belonging, however, to the present age nor to the leaders of the present age who are soon to pass away." 1 Corinthians 2:6

"…Till we all of us arrive at oneness in faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, and at mature manhood and the stature of full-grown men in Christ."Ephesians 4:13

The practical way to do that is presented very clearly by Jesus’ life but HE also put it in words for us saying: "Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. 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 22:25-27
I have also gathered some sayings of famous people as they saw greatness:

"Forget about likes and dislikes. They are of no consequence. Just do what must be done. This may not be happiness, but it is greatness." George Bernard Shaw

"Greatness, in order to gain recognition, must all too often consent to ape greatness." Jean Rostand

"There is as much greatness of mind in acknowledging a good turn, as in doing it." - Seneca

"I don't confuse greatness with perfection. To be great anyhow is-the higher achievement." Lois McMaster Bujold

"A retentive memory may be a good thing, but the ability to forget is the true token of greatness." Elbert Green Hubbard

"Poverty is a veil that obscures the face of greatness. An appeal is a mask covering the face of tribulation." Khalil Gibran

"The teachings of the Bible are so interwoven and entwined with our whole civic and social life that it would be literally - I do not mean figuratively, I mean literally - impossible for us to figure to ourselves what life would be if these teachings were removed. We would lose almost all the standards by which we now judge both public and private morals; all the standards toward which we with more or less resolution, strive to raise ourselves." Theodore Roosevelt

"There are those who believe that a new modernity demands a new morality. What they fail to consider is the harsh reality that there is no such thing as a new morality. There is only one morality. All else is immorality.... If we are to fulfill our great destiny as a people, then we must return to the old morality, the sole morality." Theodore Roosevelt

There have been great kings and generous people, but has anyone been greater than Jesus Christ? No, He is the Son of God and I will conclude with HIS greatness recipe: "But he who is greatest among you will be your servant." Jesus Christ
By Claudia Miclaus