“Whoever wants to be great must become a servant." Mark 10:43 (MSG)
We all have our own definitions of greatness. But, how does the world define true greatness?
- One way is by a person’s talent and abilities. In 2015, a 21-year-old kid from Dallas, Jordan Spieth, won the Masters when most of his peers were still in college! That ain’t too shabby!
- Others define greatness by their accomplishments. What Steve Jobs did in building Apple to the point that many business experts this think Apple might become the first trillion-dollar company in American history – that’s pretty phenomenal.
- Looking back at historical accomplishments, think about George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison and Susan B. Anthony, to name a few. The impact they had on American history is monumental.
- Others think greatness is really all about power. And who’s the big enchilada when it comes to power? It’s the President of the United States. We’re talking about the most powerful position in all the world!
- Similarly, some people define greatness by how quickly someone climbs the ladder of a large corporation – who has the biggest staff, the most prestigious title, and makes the most money.
So, what does it really mean to be truly great? It means to be a servant. Really? How can you be considered great and be a servant at the same time? Unfortunately, much of the world has the wrong definition of what greatness really is. The Bible tells us that true greatness is being a servant, and the greatest person of all time is Jesus Christ. Being a servant is having an attitude exemplified by Christ, “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.” (Philippians 2:6-7)
Isn’t it extraordinary when a CEO is a true servant of those that they are called to lead? Think about it this way—have you ever had a boss in the past that cared so much about your success, cared so much for you as a person, that you didn’t want to work for anybody else? That boss is being a servant! To care and to show love is what greatness it all about. And it begins with serving God, because our love for God will be expressed in our love for others. And that, my friends, is true greatness.