Not too long ago I was at
the park with my granddaughter and her little friends. Four-year-old Kayleigh
was playing near me and in her little girl lisp declared that someday she would
be a great “weeder.” I said, “Oh, you’re going to be a great leader?” I was pretty
impressed that such a little girl already had that kind of resolve and drive. Kayleigh
stood up tall, puffed out her chest and quickly responded with pride, “No, a
great weeder,” and proceeded to pick
up a handful of grass and scatter it.
That made me laugh, but
when I later considered the conversation, I was still impressed. Greatness as
God measures it isn’t about doing something that appears lofty in others’ eyes.
Serving others is the key. Someone who is a “weeder” to the best of her ability
and does so to serve others just may attain a high level of greatness.
We have a lot of people
who serve at Epic. Those who stuff programs, set up tables, serve donuts, put
together signs, or welcome guests don’t receive any public acclaim. But in
Jesus’ eyes, they are great. And really, who are we trying to impress, if not
Jesus!
Jesus approached his
disciples one time and asked what they were talking about, but they didn't answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. He
sat down with them and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last
place and be the servant of everyone else.”
This was not the only time
an argument arose over which of them was the greatest. Another of these times Jesus
took a little child and said, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me;
and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the
greatest.”
Notice that Jesus didn't tell his disciples not to seek greatness. He told them how to be great. As a
church, we’re committed to being a place where people who are far from God can
discover that they don’t have to be. We’re all about welcoming all of those
whom God has led through our doors and giving them the opportunity to meet and
experience this God who loved them so much that he gave his Son for them. I
think that serving others to make this possible – to welcome people into
relationship with God – is a work of true greatness.
