Great

 We celebrate great achievements in society. Right now, the college football playoffs are happening to crown the great champion team of this season. Greatness is celebrated in literary achievements, entertainment industry, business success, and in military leadership. 

Some people seem born with greatness. Albert Einstein, the Wright brothers, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, John Wayne, Donald Trump, John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr and Theodore Roosevelt. The same can be said for Elizabeth Taylor, Doris Day, Katherine Hepburn, Jackie Joyner Kersee, Reba McEntire, Faith Hill, Martha Stewart, Dianne Sawyers and Simone Biles. 

Some people work hard for greatness like Tom Brady and Katie Ledecky. Others were born with a talent level far above others around them. Carl Lewis could run faster and jump further in his day. Jesse Ownes could run faster and jump further in his day. Loretta Lynn could sing better than most and so could Aretha Franklin. 

None of those things are what I am chewing on today. I'm thinking about being great for God. Before I go any further, I am not talking about seeking great things personally. My meditation is on living so surrendered to God and filled with faith that God does great things through otherwise average people. I believe this is Biblical. Read [I Cor 1:26-29]. In this passage we learn that God chooses the foolish things of this world to shame the wise. He also chooses the weak vessels to shame the strong ones. God does this so that nobody can boast before Him. 

Sandi Patti and Amy Grant have great voices. Those voices are gifts from God placed on ordinary people. God used uneducated people like D.L. Moody and Vance Havner to do great things. He did the same thing through Jackie Pullinger and Lottie Moon. God has never looked at ability first when choosing servants for select assignments. God looks for availability. He chose Abraham and Sarah. He chose Joseph and Mary. Just available servants. He wants to choose you too. 

Great can be defined as considerably above normal. How many people are really born great. Most of us are born pretty average. God can work great things that are above average through us. Great can also mean remarkable in magnitude. How do you explain people like Billy Graham, Greg Laurie, Amy Carmichael, or Fanny Crosby. All of these were normal average believers who have been used in extraordinary ways. God chose them for special assignments. Great really has nothing to do with the size of the assignment. It has everything to do with being used by God to accomplish His purposes where He chooses to plant you. 

All of us have the potential to do outstanding things for God. George Muller fed and housed orphans by faith. Susannah Wesley trained a house full of children to make a difference for God. Evan Roberts prayed in the coal mines and sparked a revival that swept his nation and spread around the world. Beth Moore has written life changing Bible studies that have impacted millions of women. 

God chooses our assignment. After that we must fully surrender to Him and allow Him to work great things where we are. To be a great mom, a great teacher, a great attorney, a great coach, a great businesswoman, a great law enforcement officer, a great solider, a great physician, a great salesman, a great construction worker, or a great farmer. God help all of us to be great at something. To leave a legacy and leave a great impact. 

If you consider yourself ordinary and average, you are the very candidate God is looking for. You don't have to be born with great intellect, great talent, or great abilities. You serve a great God who can do great things through people yielded to Him. God may define and measure greatness in different terms than we do. You may not be the most accomplished or the richest, but you can still be great in your devotion and service to God. At the Judgment Seat of Christ [I Cor 3:10-15] that kind of greatness will stand up to the fire. May we live to be great and do great things through God who enables us. All for His glory. [Matt 5:16]