Is it godly to have greatness?

When I played football and made a great play, I would ask my family if they saw it and ask what they thought about it. I wanted to be recognized for my achievements, or my greatness. When I went to a football camp in high-school that was at the University of Nebraska Lincoln and a defensive coach knew I went to Kearney high, my sense of greatness swelled. That greatness I am explaining here is NOT godly. That greatness was my desire for recognition of the talents and skills that I have. That is not a godly greatness.

Interestingly enough, Greatness is something God wants men to have. In 1 Corinthians 15:58 it says, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” To abound in the work of the Lord is to be great and this is clarified even further in 1 Corinthians 10:31 in that whatever it is we do, “do all to the glory of God”. To have greatness, we must give God the glory.

Examples of biblical greatness

In Numbers 12:3 Moses was described as being the most meek of all in the entire earth, yet his actions and story depict a mad of greatness. In Genesis 12:2 is says he will make Abraham’s name great and further in Genesis 18:17-18, God says “Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation”. According to God, Abraham had greatness. In 2 Samuel 7:9 David is told by God that , “I will make you a great name”.

What do these men have in common that my personal story of my high-school years does not? Moses, Abraham, and David were declared great, not because of their qualities as men, but because of their qualities of faith. These men were faithful to God and any successes they gained were for God’s glory and not their own. This is a godly greatness.

Today I heard a story from our church pastor about Louis XIV, otherwise known as King Louis the Great. He demanded to be great, so much so that on the day of his funeral all the lights were out and only a single candle was lit above the kings golden coffin. It appears this was the last request of a King who wanted to be called great, and all was done according to his wishes. However, as the preacher started his message, he reached down and snuffed out the candle and declared, “Only God is great!”