Who Is the Greatest?

Don’t forget to pray. Ask God for insight and an understanding of his
Word. This insight or enlightenment is a work of grace and a ministry
of the Holy Spirit. Pray you will have eyes to see and ears to hear
the marvelous ways that God is showing his love to all his creation
but especially to his family of believers.

Scripture: Mk 9:33-35 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the
house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" (34)
But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was
the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the twelve and said, "If
anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of
all."

Note:  When God looks upon the earth and observes how people are
serving him he doesn’t look for those who may be thought of as being
important, super intelligent or those who have made a name for
themselves. He looks for those who are most like his Son, Jesus
Christ. He wants those who are willing to do any job regardless of the
importance of their position or status. He looks for those who have a
servant heart. These are the ones who would be considered great in the
eyes of God. He is not looking at those who are arguing about who is
the greatest. His eyes are on those who are so busy serving they have
no time for arguing.
Those considered great in the eyes of God will exhibit the
characteristics of Christ. They will be humble, faithful, encouragers,
comforters; those who came to serve rather than to be served.  This is
what God is looking for in his followers.

What would true greatness look like? What does the Bible say about greatness?

 (1) Mt 20:25-28 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that
the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials
exercise authority over them. Whoever wants to become great among you
must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your
slave-- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to
serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Obviously greatness has nothing to do with a person’s position,
accomplishments, power, influence or even intelligence but has to do
with an individual’s willingness to serve others in the same spirit as
that of Christ.

 (2) True greatness is faithfulness to God’s call. Faithfulness in
carrying out the ministry that God has given you.  Rom 12:6-10 reveals
a clear picture of what greatness would be like in a faithful servant:
“If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if
it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the
needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him
govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Their love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above
yourselves.”

A large group of European pastors came to one of D. L. Moody’s
Northfield Bible Conferences in Massachusetts in the late 1800s.
Following the European custom of the time, each guest put his shoes
outside his room to be cleaned by the hall servants overnight. But of
course this was America and there were no hall servants.

Walking the dormitory halls that night, Moody saw the shoes and
determined not to embarrass his brothers. He mentioned the need to
some ministerial students who were there, but met with only silence or
pious excuses. Moody returned to the dorm, gathered up the shoes, and,
alone in his room, the world’s only famous evangelist began to clean
and polish the shoes. Only the unexpected arrival of a friend in the
midst of the work revealed the secret.

When the foreign visitors opened their doors the next morning, their
shoes were shined. They never knew by whom. Moody told no one, but his
friend told a few people, and during the rest of the conference,
different men volunteered to shine the shoes in secret. Perhaps the
episode is a vital insight into why God used D. L. Moody as He did. He
was a man with a servant’s heart and that was the basis of his true
greatness. [Gary Inrig, A Call to Excellence.]

True greatness is to do the work of Christ wherever God chooses to
place you and to do it out of your great love for Him. Aspire to
Greatness in God’s eyes not in the eyes of the world.

Did the Lord speak to you today?  Why not write it down and claim it
for His Glory.

Prayer:  What do you need to pray to the Lord today? Listen to your
heart. He loves you!