Being Great!

I had thought to entitle this "Shawna the Great" but that might push too many people's buttons. Here are some excerpts from my next book "Heart Connection: Living as a Friend of God."

(excerpt 1)
We may think we are guarding ourselves from pride by not believing that God has great things planned for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). But true humility does not limit God’s greatness.  In fact, the ugliest pride is that which says that God is limited by our inability. Who are we to limit God?

The most humble people are those whom God uses to do amazing, unbelievable miracles – heal the sick, drive out demons, raise the dead. He knows that in their humility these people will not become accustomed to greatness but will steward their sense of wonder at what God can do through a mere human being. That is why Moses could refer to himself as the most humble person on earth (Numbers 12:3). In the beginning Moses tried to limit God with his own limitations. Instead of realizing that if God could speak through a bush, he could speak through anyone. He thought that his inability as public speaker could control God’s ability to speak (Exodus 4:10).  Moses fussed enough that God gave him Aaron to be his mouthpiece.  God will cooperate with your inability if you let it limit you.

Then came the extraordinary journey of delivering Israel from Egypt and leading them out into the wilderness.  Moses saw staffs turn into snakes, water turn to blood, plague after plague until finally the angel of death passed over Egypt, the red sea part, the fire at night and cloud by day to guide them, supernatural provision of bread, water and meat, supernatural victory in battle and all of Israel heard God audibly speak from a mountain covered in smoke. Did all these signs and wonders make Moses prideful? If Moses had been prideful he would have agreed with God’s plan to wipe out the Israelites and start again with him. However, Moses’ concern was for the reputation of the Lord (Exodus 32:7-14). He knew what it was to fear the Lord. He knew what it was to stand in wonder of the mighty God. And he knew what it was to be like a friend to God, meeting with him face to face (Exodus 33:11), and treasuring his presence, his companionship above all else (Exodus 33:16). Moses saw and knew the Lord like no one else in Israel’s history. His experience with God on Mt. Sinai when he was so bold as to ask to see God’s glory is one of the climactic events in the Old Testament. By now Moses realized that his weakness, his humanity, did not limit God.

When everyone else let fear distance themselves from God, Moses went after God, into the “thick darkness” where God had hidden himself for those who were humble enough to realize that their humanity did not limit God and therefore they could be bold, seek his face and believe for greatness.

(excerpt 2)
Do you want to see God do amazing things through little ‘ole you? Do you want to prophesy, heal the sick, raise the dead, and destroy the kingdom of darkness? If you focus on obeying the voice of your Father, stewarding wonder in your life, and seeking his face (to know him) you will be amazed at what he can do through you. As long as you remain as a child, a novice, God will not be limited by what you think you can or can not do.

In Matthew 18:1 the disciples come to Jesus and ask him who the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven is. They had probably been having one of their usual arguments about who was greater and was expecting Jesus to point to one of them.  Peter had faith and was the first to confess Jesus as the Christ, but John was the disciple Jesus loved, or maybe Jesus would throw them all a curve ball and pick Thomas because he always kept it real.

Instead Jesus called a child over to him and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3-4).

A child enthusiastically believes what his father says, no matter how impossible it might seem to the mature mind. Santa Clause, Superman, the Tooth Fairy – all completely believable.

A child trusts that her father will always do what’s best for her even when circumstances aren’t easy.  If something hurts then she trusts daddy to make it better.

A child remains dependent on his father. Even the most strong willed independent child (I know what I’m talking about) likes to do things with their Father rather than on his own. He knows that he can’t reach the cookie jar but Daddy can.

A child expects good gifts from her Father. She is even so bold as to ask, “What did you get me Daddy?” She doesn’t worry that the Father might give her something dangerous that could hurt her.  She just enjoys whatever Daddy knows is safe to put in her hands.

The other  day I noticed something about children I hadn’t seen before.  My friend had just got done disciplining her four year old daughter, who was crying like it was the end of the world.  Did the child run and hide from mommy, or fight back? No, she found comfort in her mothers arms.  In the arms of the person who had just told her “no, you can’t have your way this time.” She clung to her mother who held her and stroked her hair until the child had calmed down and lay sucking her thumb in complete safety and peace in her mother’s arms.

There was something amazing in that moment that revealed the greatness of being a child. A child who has a good mother and a good father is absolutely secure in the love of their parents. There is nothing in that moment that could convince that daughter that her mother did not love her.  Even her mother’s discipline. That is trust. Trust enough to obey and submit even when she didn’t like what was being asked of her. That is the beginning of greatness.