Motives to Greatness
Thursday, June 20, 2013 Posted by Debbie Legg
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What’s so wrong about greatness, and what’s so great about serving?
As
so many things with God, it all goes to motive.
God is mostly concerned with what is in our hearts.
Moses
was a great man, arguably one of the greatest the world has ever known. Yet God talked to him as friend to
friend. Why? Because of his heart. Now
Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the
earth. Numbers 12:3
David
was a great man also in many ways. God chose
him to be king because ”I have found
David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him
to do.” Acts 13:22
By
contrast, Herod, wearing his royal robes,
sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They
shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” Immediately,
because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down,
and he was eaten by worms and died. Acts 12:21-23
I
won’t even begin to mention all of the proud and evil kings of Israel and the
myriad ways God orchestrated their downfalls.
You can read for yourselves.
But
the ultimate example of the greatest being the servant is Jesus, “ Who, being in very nature God, did not
consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather,
he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being
made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he
humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore
God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above
every name. Philippians 2:6-9
If
Jesus’ motives were humility, obedience and love, how much more should ours be?
“Whoever wants to become great among you
must be your servant.” Matthew 20:26
"Anyone who wants to be first must
be the very last, and the servant of all." Mark 9:35
