“I just want God to use me for something great.” At first reading, these words may seem like the bigheaded musings of an immature Christian. You might imagine someone like James or John thinking this way when their mother asked Jesus if her boys could sit at his right and left hands when he brings about his kingdom. Indeed, the idea of striving to be something great for God seems to go against the very teaching of Jesus. Just look how he responded to James and John’s mother: “whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,” (Matt. 20:21, 26–27). So, at first glance, it looks like the proper answer to anyone who wants to be used by God for great things in this world is, “Sorry man, we just don’t do think that way around here.”
But wait, there’s more to this picture than meets the eye. Jesus didn’t say it was wrong to desire greatness in God’s kingdom. He just said that greatness comes differently in his kingdom than it does in this world. There is greatness for which Christians should strive, a Christ-honoring greatness that comes in the form of serving others. Seeking to attain this kind of greatness is a truly righteous ambition.
We see this ambition in the early church as they served the world by tenaciously spreading the gospel message of Christ everywhere they went. They sacrificed their ordinary lifestyles so they could care for one another and for those who did not yet know Christ. You can see this kind of tenacity in Paul’s writings. He inspires his readers to “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14). He urges his readers to build on the foundation of Christ in a way that will last through the ages (1 Cor. 3:12–15). He challenges his readers to live disciplined lives, the way an elite athlete might, but for heavenly glory rather than earthly glory (1 Cor. 9:24–27). Think about that for a minute. Think about the intentionality, the sacrifice, the determination, the “blood, sweat, and tears” that go into training for top-level athletic events. Now, think about putting that kind of effort into being the greatest servant of the gospel of Christ you can possibly be. If you are looking for permission to be great in God’s kingdom, you just got it. Strive to be an Olympic-level servant of Christ!
But wait, there’s more. You aren’t the only one. The Christian life is a team sport. We strive together for greatness. You don’t have to carry all the weight yourself. We share the load. This means that whether young or old, rich or poor, healthy or infirm, well-read or streetwise, as a Christian you are part of a team, a body, that works together to be great in serving. So let each one of us cultivate a righteous ambition. Let us be great in serving. Let us be great for the sake of the gospel and the glory of the Lord. And, in the end, we will stand on the winner’s podium together celebrating our victory in Christ for all time.
Pastor Josh