Greatness, really?

• 2 Thessalonians 3:13 (NKJV) But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.

We may have made a huge mistake—this love affair we Americas have with greatness may be overrated.

While eagerly swallowing the principles of Jim Collin’s “Good to Great” and dozens of other “How to be great…” books and seminars we have duped ourselves into thinking that being great really matters.

Historians tell us that Alexander, the son of King Philip of Macedonia was “great” and they add the title “great” to Catherine, Empress of Russia (1729-1796).  There’s also Akbar the Great, Alfred the Great, Antiochus III the Great, Ashoka the Great, Bruno the Great, and Cnut the Great, Cyaxares the Great, and Cyrus the Great (that’s “Greats” just from A-C).  Impressed?  Neither am I.

Think about God…

After creating the entire universe with all it’s swirling galaxies, solar systems, planets, comets, and quasars the best they got was, “It is good” (Genesis 1:18)

Even the earth with it’s teeming oceans, vast forests and plains and majestic mountain ranges only managed to get a “good”.

This goes for all the myriad animal species (excluding humans–they didn’t even rate a good; but they did get a blessing).

To do better than “good” the entire creation had to be lumped together and then God described it as “very good” (Genesis 1:31).

Why I can’t even imagine how the typical American would have described the Universe if they had made it, but I’d be willing to bet the ranch that it would be over the top and include the word “great”.

Are we missing something here?

What if the goal in life is to do good (vs. seeking to be great).

Being great impresses people; doing good impresses God.

If all the success gurus were honest they’d tell us (before we purchased their books) that only a very few people are ever considered “great” (and then only by a few for only a few short moments of time)…but everyone can do good.

Matthew 25:21 (NKJV)
²His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’