Founded by Bryant Wright, Right from the Heart is a
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Achieving Greatness Dec 30 2008
"Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all." - Mark 10:43b-44
Deep down inside, don't you want to be great? But exactly what does it mean to be great? The world measures greatness in different ways. Probably the most common way that the world defines greatness is accomplishment, people that achieve great things. You might go back into ancient history and think about Alexander the Great, because he conquered the known world by the time he was 33 years old, and then wept that there were no more worlds to conquer. Or you may think about Thomas Edison with over a thousand patents to his name. Or consider Einstein and his amazing discoveries in quantum physics.
Others would say real greatness is all about power. In Jesus' time, Caesar Augustus would be considered truly great because of all the power he held. In the modern world, you look at US presidents - that is the big enchilada, because there is no position more powerful than that!
Actually anyone can become great and Jesus tells us how: "...whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all." Jesus - the greatest man to ever exist says He didn't come to be served; He came to serve, even to the point of trading His life for our salvation.
The greatest man was also the greatest servant. And that is what He calls us to do. He calls us follow in the footsteps of Jesus and to serve our fellow man. It's the only lasting road to greatness.
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3 Comments
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Yes, report it NevermindTo me greatness is what you leave behind. A truly great person leaves behind their faith in Jesus and inspires others by their own lives.
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Yes, report it NevermindKipling never mentioned God. I don't know if he was a believer. But, I have always thought that this was a wonderful poem. Have a safe holiday.
If
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!
--Rudyard Kipling
If you think this comment should be removed because it is mean spirited, compromises someone's privacy, or is SPAM, then let us know.
Yes, report it NevermindLets face it, we all enjoy having a fuss being made over us, it is just our nature. What we should be striving for is not heaping glory on ourselves but giving glory and honor to the Lord. He is the one worthy of praise, there is nothing about me that needs to be promoted. Everything that I have done in my life has either been a failure or it was a laughing matter, but when God was leading me it was a success, because he ordained it. I want to be used by him more in this new year to reach the lost and I can be if I will put him first and leave Jerry on the side line. Pray that I can do this and I will pray for you to do the same.