Various things separate great men from good men. The world says great men are achievers and those who do great exploits, while good men are merely... good. The Bible, however, simplifies this and gives just one thing that separates the great from the OK among men: character.
Character Is Key
In the sight of God, the heart matters a lot more than our looks, skills, talents, and perceived achievements. While the world rewards those who own titles and awards, the Lord God simply honours those who are humble. While God appreciates and celebrates our victories, He is more overjoyed when our hearts are right before Him.
"But Jesus called them to Him and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. Whoever would be great among you, let him serve you, and whoever would be first among you, let him be your slave, even as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.'" (Matthew 20:25-28 MEV)
Who Wants To Be Great?
Knowing this, those who desire to be great in the eyes of God should be willing to do several things. One of these things is to establish the right attitudes and character in our hearts.
Would you want to be a great man, someone who would please God and make Him happy? It's not impossible to do that. But we should, however, learn to develop that right attitudes and character that a great person has.
1. Fear Of God
The most important trait that a Christian leader should have: the fear of the Lord.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who live it have insight. His praise endures forever!" (Psalm 111:10)
2. Servant Heart
Jesus said those who want to be great must be a servant. Of course, He wasn't saying that all of us work a job in the services department. He is, however, telling us that we need to have a servant's hopeful heart.
"Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection,[e] and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality." (see Romans 12:9-13 NLT)
3. Humility
One remarkable attitude that a great Christian leader should have is humility. We who desire to be great must be humble enough to recognise and realise that we are mere humans dependent on God's grace and mercy.
In the passage below, we read how David considered himself not worthy of the life of any person under him:
"The three warriors breached the Philistine camp and drew up water from the well in Bethlehem by the gate, and they brought it to David. However, he was not willing to drink it, so he poured it out as a drink offering to the Lord. He said, 'Far be it from me, O Lord, to drink this, the blood of the men who risked their lives.' So he was not willing to drink it." (see 2 Samuel 23:16-17)
