04/27/2017
Do we want to be great men and women of faith? Is our goal to be like Mother Teresa, Billy Graham, or Martin Luther King? Is working quietly in the trenches unappealing to us? Did the first sentence of your prayer this morning contain "give me", "make me", or "let me?"
God has no desire to make you great unless it just so happens that doing so meets the necessity of His will. As a matter of fact, some of the great disappointments in the Bible have been great people (like Nebuchadnezzar and Delilah) but men like David became great despite themselves because God needed them for that purpose or example. Often (also like David) they were great in spite of themselves.
“And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the Lord. But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go."”
Jeremiah 45:5 ESV
The three people I mentioned in my opening paragraph this morning are all from modern times. None of them entered into faith to be great, but God needed them to be in order to speak to all of mankind. Mother Teressa was a self deprecating woman who wanted to humbly serve the poor of India because they touched her heart, Billy Graham was raised on a dairy farm to a Presbyterian family before becoming ordained in the Southern Baptist Church and finding prominence following WWII, eventually gaining the ear of Presidents. Last but not least is Martin Luther King who was just one of a thousand pastor's kids who grew up to follow in his father's footsteps, and whose approach to nonviolence and Christlike protest against racial persecution and intolerance catapulted Him into greatness. He was one of many many who believed in the Civil Rights movement... what set him apart from the others? All of these examples are of normal people that God's plan required more of... it required greatness not for them, but for God Himself.
God seeks to sustain us and be in relationship with us. It is hard to maintain a relationship with great people. Their lives are so full of the world that they have little time for quiet walks in the Garden. If you happen to be in a family that has a very successful member you know what I am talking about. Suddenly they transform from the brother or sister you loved to quietly share your thoughts with into someone you must make an appointment to see. Being great has its personal perks, but God wants all of your attention and a busy schedule of worldly things often gets in the way of that. It takes a special person to balance faith with the world at that level. Greatness is a handicap to faith.
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Matthew 6:33 KJV
As I read Oswald Chambers this morning, he spoke of this quest for greatness in this way...
"Are you seeking great things for yourself? Not seeking to be a great one, but seeking great things from God for yourself? God wants you in a closer relationship to Himself than receiving His gifts, He wants you to get to know Him. A great thing is accidental, it comes and goes." - Oswald Chambers
When God calls a person to prominence it is often at a cost. The price is usually physical as well as spiritual. Mother Teressa was denigrated by many of her jealous peers, and fought to maintain her piety, while living a life of self deprecation. Billy Graham was turned down by a local youth club because they said he was too worldly, and later in life accused of having antisemitic views among other things. Martin Luther King Jr. was derided during his life as being a rabble rouser and later assassinated for his views on equality. All these people paid a price during their lives that resulted directly from their greatness.
Oswald Chambers went on to say this about greatness...
"God never gives us anything accidental. There is nothing easier than getting into a right relationship with God except when it is not God whom we want, but only what he gives." - Oswald Chambers
In the case of great people of faith, God takes away the easy path and places them on a road fraught with hardship. It is easy for us to cherry pick the good things we see in their lives, but what was the cost? God wants us walking with Him in the Garden, so the suffering of greatness shouldn't be our aspiration... it is a calling to suffering. Our desire should be for a deep and meaningful relationship with the Lord; unfettered by worldly pitfalls.
I asked you what the first sentence of your prayer contained this morning. I asked if you used words like "give me", "make me", or "let me"... I hope not. My hope is that you began with such words as "Thank you", "love you" and "praise you." Our relationship should not be predicated on what God gives us, but on what he is to us. He calls us friend, child, and redeemed; so what do we call him? Is it also friend? Is it Father? Is It merciful? Is it full of grace? Don't seek greatness and other frivolous things from God, but simply his presence and He will give you the greatest of His gifts... His quiet peace.
“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”
Matthew 6:34 KJV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for the relationship you have allowed me to enter into with you. Thank you for not placing on me more than I can bear and for not allowing the world to distract me from you. Holy Father, I love you more than greatness and those things of pleasure that only serve to draw my attention from you. I ask that you give me faith in abundance, and redeem me and make me righteous through your Son Jesus Christ. Lord, you are sufficient for me, and your presence as I walk brings me all the greatness I desire.
Rich Forbes