Achieving Greatness God’s Way
We all have aspirations to be great and do something great. I want to leave a legacy and impact as many people as I can before my time on earth is done. I don’t want anyone to feel compelled to lie at my funeral, but I want it to truly be a celebration of life.
The Bible teaches us how to achieve greatness and it doesn’t have anything to do with the standards that the world tries to live up to. As a matter of fact, the dynamics for success are reversed in the Kingdom of God. The foundation of the Christian life, what we need to get right before anything else, is probably not what you think.
This fundamental aspect of the Christian life is SERVANTHOOD. It's a noble calling, yet one often hindered by the pervasive influence of selfishness. But fear not, for we have the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us in overcoming this obstacle and fulfilling God's will.
WE NEED TO DEFEAT SELFISHNESS
Selfishness is the quality or characteristic of being concerned, primarily with one's own interest, benefits, or well-being, often at the expense of others. It’s a lack of consideration for the needs, feelings, or welfare of others and a focus on personal gain or satisfaction. Does this sound like the Christian life? Absolutely not!
However, this is a definition of each one of us. That’s because we live in a fallen world and the natural inclination of our sinful nature is selfishness.
Why is this so bad? Selfish behavior can strain and damage relationships. Constant prioritization of one's own needs over others can lead to resentment, conflicts, and a breakdown in trust. Selfishness often goes hand-in-hand with a lack of empathy. This makes it difficult for individuals to understand and connect with the feelings and perspectives of others. Constant self-centeredness can contribute to stress and unhappiness. It may be challenging for selfish individuals to build meaningful connections and experience the satisfaction that comes from contributing to the well-being of others.
We can defeat selfishness by serving. It combats selfishness directly because you can’t serve someone effectively and still be selfish. Serving others allows you to connect with their experiences, challenges, and emotions. This fosters empathy, as you become more attuned to the feelings and needs of those around you. When you invest time and effort in helping others, it builds trust and deepens connections, leading to more meaningful and supportive relationships. Engaging in acts of kindness and contributing to the welfare of others can lead to increased happiness and a sense of fulfillment.
SELFLESSNESS IN SCRIPTURE
As Christ-followers, we must follow the example of Christ in our relationships. When Jesus came into this world, He could have had people serve Him as the Messiah and the Son of God, but instead, He came to serve. Scripture tells us that His mindset of selflessness is the mindset we should have in our relationships. Jesus came to serve and was willing to die for us. That’s a pretty high standard.
Philippians 2:5-8 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
Jesus served and practically met the needs around him. On one occasion, we can peer into a scene with Him and the disciples. We see Jesus humbly washing their feet. This was not a job for the Son of God and Savior of the World. However, Jesus wanted to set an example for us to follow.
John 13:12–14 12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.
Next, we need to deny ourselves. Self-denial is the foundation of the Christian life. It’s not easy, but it’s necessary. We do this by crucifying our flesh daily and following in the example of Christ.
Luke 9:23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
We must remember that we are the body of Christ. Although we are one body, it is made up of many members. Each one is there not to do what it wants, but to submit to the will of Christ and do what He wants. A physical body is made up of many different parts and they must all work together to complete the task. If one part decides not to cooperate and serve the body, it causes all kinds of problems.
We also have to determine to serve one another in the body of Christ. To do that effectively, we need to follow the guidelines of scripture. You’re not going to like this one.
Philippians 2:3–4 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Valuing others above ourselves doesn’t come naturally in any way, shape, or form, but if we adhere to this principle, we have a greater chance of defeating self-centeredness.
SERVANTHOOD IN SCRIPTURE
According to Kingdom Dynamics, the greatest is the one who serves! We live by a different set of rules and certainly a higher standard of servant leadership. And once again, Jesus is the example for us to follow.
Matthew 20:25–28 25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
As Christians, we are to be distinguished by love, and the reality is - SERVING IS LOVING! Jesus said the world would know we are Christians by our love. It must be our motivation in everything we do and the driving force behind our devotion to the Lord.
1 John 3:18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
We are given explicit instructions regarding love. What we see in this scripture is that love is an action word and the old clique is true that says, “actions speak louder than words.” You can’t say you love someone and not serve them. Furthermore, if you’re not willing to serve someone, you’re operating in selfishness.
Oftentimes we focus on our spiritual development and neglect our relational development. Paul in his letter to the Romans addresses this, but if you’re not careful, you can miss it.
Romans 12:10–13 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Mixed right in with your ever-increasing passion for serving the Lord spiritually, we must be lovingly serving others practically.
Finally, we are encouraged to servanthood in scripture by seeing that the Holy Spirit empowers us with spiritual gifts. The sole purpose of these gifts is to serve one another (1 Peter 4:10-11, 1 Corinthians 12:7) and build one another up (1 Corinthians 14:12).
Every member of the Body of Christ should ask for and seek the gift or gifts that God specifically wants to supply so that their part within the Body can be fulfilled and complete, being faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms (1 Peter 4:11).
CONCLUSION
We need to defeat selfishness in our lives because it will damage our relationships, keep us thinking negatively of others, and will even affect our own mental well-being.
We combat that by serving one another in love, and this will bring glory to God. We must practice self-denial and learn to serve the body as Jesus did. God wants us to serve others so much that He will empower us with His Holy Spirit to accomplish it!
Let us commit to defeating selfishness in our lives.
Let’s commit to serving one another!
Let’s commit to being filled with the Holy Spirit daily!
- Nick DiBenedetto
from the sermon series, “The Year You Always Wanted” (2/4/24)