What Do You Need To Be Great?
Are you great? Do you want to be? What does it take? Here’s a list of important truths that promise to help you be great the person you were created to be!
Are you great? Do you want to be?
How would people in your life answer those questions about you?
Greatness defined:
- The property possessed by something or someone of outstanding importance or eminence.
- The quality or state of being large in amount, extent, or importance.
- Something meriting the highest praise or regard.
“Greatness is not found in possessions, power, position, or prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service, and character.” ~William Arthur Ward
Let’s take a closer look before we ask the “great” questions again.
Greatness is not found in…
Possessions – (Property and Wealth)
Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! Ecclesiastes 5:10
Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” Hebrews 13:5
Position – (High Standing in Society)
But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant . . . For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:43 & 45
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. Philippians 2:3–4
Prestige – (Fame and Influence)
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2
He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.” Mark 9:35
Greatness is found in…
Goodness – (Moral Excellence)
For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22–23
Humility – (Modest View of Self-Importance)
Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Romans 12:3
Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Proverbs 11:2
Service – (Helping)
For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. Romans 14:17–18
God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 1 Peter 4:10
Character – (Thoughts, Feelings, and Behavior)
Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Colossians 3:12
Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8
Are you great? Do you want to be?
Go ahead . . . be affirmative. Shout yes!
You’re great, not because of what you own, who you know, or where you work or live. You’re great because you are God’s child. You are great because by God’s grace through Jesus and the power of His Spirit your past is forgiven and you have all you need to live with goodness, humility, service, and character.
You are great—because God created you exactly the way He wanted you for His purposes in this time and place.
[Tweet “You were created to be great. Celebrate and share your greatness with others!”]
You’re great!
Finding an answer in anything less than God is a disaster every time. Nothing else will satisfy the God-shaped hole in our hearts.
Yes! The only thing that makes us great is being children of God. I am so grateful to belong to Him!
Blessings, Deb!
Yes! yes! yes! See you had me so excited I decided to shout it three times 🙂 so often I fall back to judging myself on the worlds standards and I always fall short. But when I look to Gods standards, I always succeed. Thanks for the reminder.
i will be honest. At one point i wanted to be “known.” A pastor who is respected, known, and asked to speak all over. Never did happen and I am thankful for it. never could have handled it. i am happy now with who i am and where I am.
Pretty content at this point of life to be just where I am. Oh but I have struggle with wanting something different then God wanted for me.
So glad He is patience. Good post Deb.
I will admit, at first the title scared me. I thought, oh no, another blogger who wants to be “bigger than life!”
Fooled me! So glad you are genuine! Jo Wilmer
Thank you, Jo! So glad you took the risk and came over to check it out. And I’m glad I was able to surprise you! You’re great! God’s blessings to you!
I love this, Deb. Such a great reminder to us as God’s children. What a privilege. And YES He has a specific purpose for us/me and I love fulfilling that every single day. Sometimes when I get interruptions in my planned day, I will think to myself “I am doing exactly what God wants me to do right now.” That helps me not get frustrated but fulfill whatever need has come my way. So glad I found you. Blessings, Amy
Thank you, Amy. It’s a blessing to know that we are in this time and place for a purpose. It gives even the simplest task value and meaning. Blessings to you!