BEING WITH THE HEAVENLY FATHER -
.......DEVOTIONS FOR LAMBS.
No. 95
From Wendy Howard [Editor of Despatch magazine], Sunshine Coast, Qld, Australia.
Access Online  http://www.despatch.cth.com.au/Main/tabco_main

Getting to know God together.

THE GREATEST!
One day a teacher said to her class,” I want you to make a list of those people you think are the greatest people living today.” What would you have written down?
Some of the kids wrote all sorts of film stars and sports stars down. There were football players and tennis players, and people like Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman!
Some of the kids thought they had better please the teacher, so they wrote down famous rulers of countries. They had Queen Elizabeth of England, President Clinton of the USA and Nelson Mandela of South Africa. One girl was learning ballet dancing, so she put down all the dancers’ names that she knew.
Louise was thinking of being a nurse one day, so she just wrote down, “the doctors and nurses in all the hospitals, and the animal doctors and nurses as well.”

Lots of young people usually think of men and women as being “great” because they are famous, powerful, rich, clever, talented or even just pretty. Then kids can think, “If I was like them I could be happy. If I was a famous film star one day, I would have money and all sorts of fans would think I was great too!” Like Julia Roberts or Brad Pitt! Maybe you think that if you were really good at sport you would be famous and  a “great”  person. Like those big basket ball stars, or like the Olympic Games’ runners and athletes.

What do think Jesus says about being great?
Who does He say are the greatestpeople on earth?

Well, Jesus said some things about being great that are so different than what ordinary people say. His followers must have been really shocked when they first heard Jesus talk about being a great person. Perhaps they would have thought that a Jewish scholar who knew all sorts of languages, and could read very old scrolls (rolled up books) was the greatest. But no, Jesus Christ didn’t say they were the greatest, not at all. Who did He say were the greatest people that would live on the earth? Our wonderful Lord said:

“Who-so-ever will be great among you,
let him be your minister (servant)”
(Matthew 20;26).
“If any man (or boy and girl) desire to be first,
the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.” (Mark 9:35).

That means that you can be one of the greatest people on the earth today, in God’s eyes. If you let God make you unselfish, humble not proud, and if you want to serve other people instead of always looking after yourself, then you will be great. What does “serve” mean? It means here wanting to live to help others, and bring the love of God into their lives. Even children can be Great people - in God’s eyes. And that is what counts!

EXTRAS FOR TEENS AND BETWEENS

Jesus said:
“Who-so-ever shall lose his life
for my sake and the gospel’s,
the same shall save it.” (Mark 8:35).
To come humbly to God, and let Him make you a servant instead of a “go-getter,” would seem foolishness to people who live for this world! They often want to run right over others so they can get the best jobs and make the most money. Have you heard the saying “dog eat dog”? But Christians are called to a far more beautiful life than that, they are called to love and serve, and to show mankind there is a better way to live. Living for Christ Jesus is far better than living for yourself. This is true greatness. Even our Lord Himself was a servant to all.
He didn’t act like a selfish, proud  big shot, He gave His life for the sin of the world.  And He was THE greatest Man Who ever, ever lived.
“ 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.” (Matthew 20;27,28).
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