The Pursuit of Greatness

So much in our culture tells us that you have to be great or you are nothing.  Such a mentality suggest that greatness, as defined by the world, is out there waiting for us to discover it.  The problem however, is that we are never great enough.  We always have to push harder, do more, reach new levels, and avoid contentment at all cost.  If you choose to simply be faithful to our God, do your job well, and wait on His timing, then certainly something is wrong with you, or so we are told.

In reading Luke 1 we discover that just the opposite is true.  We see in the life of Zechariah and Elizabeth an example of a couple that simply trusted God and He used them in a big way.  We are told of these two that they were righteous before God (6).  We are also told that Zechariah was a priest (8).  One day, while serving the Lord, Zechariah was selected to enter the Temple and burn incense (11).  While fulfilling his duty, an angel of the Lord spoke to him and told him that he would have a son (13).  He is told that this son will be great before the Lord (15).  As we know, this son would be John the Baptist.  He was the one who would go before Christ to prepare the way.

The lesson that we can take away from this today is that the pursuit of righteousness is of more value than the pursuit of greatness.  If we pursue righteousness, then God can use us how He so desires.  If we pursue greatness, we could possible miss the process of development that God has for us.