ByWhen I was in primary school, I remember some of my classroom teachers periodically asking the class whether we wanted to be great people in life or not. I didn’t see anybody saying “no.” Truthfully, people want to be great; no doubt about it. Even God wants all His children to be great people. For this reason, He’s not an endorser of mediocrity.
God is not an endorser of mediocrity.
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Greatness is attainable, but not without a cost attached and principles to follow. You have to distinguish yourself from the crowd if you want to be great. By saying this, I mean you have to do something different if you desire to be great because all great people are unusual people. Fortunately, the things to do to move into greatness are in the Bible. But it’s left with us to study and apply them to our lives.
The Cost of Greatness
The people God raises unto greatness are people usually regarded as the black sheep of their families. God likes turning nobodies to somebodies. But He deals with their wrong (mediocre) mindsets so that they can embrace the big things He has planned for them. Hence, the cost of greatness is getting rid of mediocrity.
You can only do this when you follow Christ. Why? Because if you’re not in Christ, you cannot know your purpose and hence won’t become who God created you to be. Remember that the disciples left everything they had to follow Jesus (Matthew 19:27-30), and He made them great people.
Sometimes, for God to help you to get rid of mediocre mindsets, He changes your environment. That is one of the reasons why regularly going to church as a Christian is very important. It changes your environment, and at the same time, exposes you to Christ-centered teachings that will renew your mind (Romans 12:2). Consider this and decide to follow Christ today.
God likes turning nobodies to somebodies
Some principles to follow to be great
There are numerous principles in the Bible every person aspiring to be great must follow. Sometimes, these principles are spiritual patterns in nature. For brevity, I can only write about a few of them.
1. Serve others
“But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.” – Matthew 23:11 NKJV
Every great person is a servant. The greater you want to become, the more people you’ll serve. You cannot exclude the principle of servitude if you choose to be great. Jesus, a whole Son of God, came to serve and not for others to serve Him (Matthew 20:28). If He did this, how much more us (Christians), His followers?
Every great person is a great servant
Don’t make it your heart’s desire for people to serve you. Serve others first, and others will serve you. That implies you have to allow God to lead you to build systems and structures (whether family-wise, ministry-wise, business-wise, or a combination of any/all of them) that will equip you to serve others.
Do you know that one of the easiest ways to get rid of mediocrity is through service? As you faithfully serve others with what you have, God will increase your supply as more people will become dependent on your services. Following this, you’ll start thinking of better ways of providing them with your services. This makes you think big, and that deals with mediocrity in you.
Now, this is where many people confuse influence with popularity. Popularity without Christ-centered impact turns to idolatry. Instead of desiring others to serve you, start thinking of ways to serve people, beginning from where you are now.
Popularity without Christ-centered impact turns to idolatry.
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2. Focus on fulfilling your calling
The principle of single-focusing is extremely significant to follow if you want to be great. You must focus on doing what God has called you to do and doing it very well. Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). When He went into full-time ministry, I never saw in the Bible that He spoke about how He helped His father (Joseph) to do carpentry work during infancy. Neither did I see Jesus assuming governmental duties or any secular job aside from the work of the ministry.
Yes, sometimes, you’ve got to take multiple jobs to get enough finances to do what God has called you to do. But more importantly, your primary focus must be on Christ. As a young preacher, I’m still in university, and I also work; but I give more attention to what God has called me to do. You may not be able to dedicate your entire life to the fulfilment of your divine calling now, but give your most attention and much time to it, and you’ll prosper.
3. Learn a lot
You cannot excel in doing something if you don’t know how it can be done well. God has deposited great potential in everyone. But most of us don’t unleash it to its maximum capabilities. The gifts, ideas, and plans in your mind won’t materialize just because you thought of them or even wrote them in your diary. You must learn how to enhance the operation of everything good God has deposited in you. That is where education, much reading (and studying) of the Bible, Christian books, articles, and other academic materials related to developing what is in you becomes very necessary.
When you identify your strengths, don’t just do activities related to them with all your heart. Read, learn and research about them. Spend time enriching your mind. Thankfully, there are a lot of free helpful resources on the internet. So it’s not really about money (although there are some you have to purchase because of the content quality), but your time to study them. Your knowledge increases when you learn. Eventually, you’ll become a better person, and there’ll be progression to greatness.
After you’ve heard these things, it’ll be a great help to you if you practice them [John 13:17]. I pray this article gives you the answer to your question on how to be a great Christian. I pray God helps you to become great.
