Pursuing Greatness by C. Joseph
Matthew 20:26–28 uses these two words when talking about pursuing ministry greatness.
“But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (ESV).
Romans 5:6 says, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.” Then it goes on to list some of the gifts, which include serving, teaching, encouraging, leading, giving, and mercy (see 1 Cor 12; Eph 4; 1 Pet 4 to read more about gifts of the Spirit.)These gifts are usually called “spiritual gifts,” and they are given to us freely by God’s grace to meet the needs of the body of believers. When we use our spiritual gifts, the body is built up, encouraged, and unified.
In the past, I found myself tempted to act like I had all the gifts. I tried to encourage, evangelize, teach, serve, give, administrate, and lead. Then it hit me—I was overcommitted and stressed out. This was pride in myself.
When I sense burnout, I remember something my college Greek professor once said: “If you feel burnt out, then you are not serving in the Holy Spirit’s strength. You’re serving in your own strength.” And then he said, “I’d rather rust out than burn out,” meaning he planned to focus on his area of giftedness given by the Holy Spirit and serve in that one area until the day he died.
Are you getting burnt out trying to do too many things for the body of Christ? Or are you unsure of which ministry you should focus on? Do you know what your gift is?
Get your feet wet trying all types of ministries. Volunteer to do different things for three months at a time. Find out which one lights your fire and excites you and which ones you dread.
What is it that you feel compelled to do? Have you found the ministry that fills your heart with joy when you have the opportunity to do it? That’s the Holy Spirit working in you! That’s your spiritual gift.
We are all called to be servants. The greatest among us will be a servant. We must check our pride at the door and acknowledge that we need each other in the body of Christ. Every single gift is necessary.
John MacArthur writes, “So, if we pursue greatness, we pursue it on the path of humility. If we pursue greatness, we pursue it on the path of service, we pursue it on the path of slavery.”
You are a gifted woman. May we pursue greatness through serving one another with joy. Walk with the King.
Joseph, C. (2014). Pursuing Greatness. In What I Wish I’d Known. Bellingham, WA: Kirkdale Press.
