The related synonyms of the word great include famous, illustrious, eminent, distinguished, celebrated, impressive, talented, skillful, noble, exalted, heroic, majestic, and notable. The antonyms or opposite great include unimportant, small, slight, minor, awful, lowly, ordinary and tiny.
All the synonyms of the word great listed above are great indeed. Many of them are results while others are endowments or learned behaviors. This means that you can be great by being, doing and having these qualities and attributes.
There is a world acclaimed great man who left a model for greatness which we can copy. His greatness came to limelight while he was on earth. It is spoken about and sang in songs both in heaven and on earth to the present time. His name is Jesus Christ. His leadership principle is taught in tertiary institutions world over. His model of greatness is unequaled. He left a legacy that yours truly has used to achieve some good status today. Many smart and wise men and women are copying and using his model to great advantage.
What one word describes the model of greatness Jesus Christ used and taught while on earth? Did you guess right or wrong? That one word is called SERVICE. Service is the key to power. Like charity, his sister, service never fails. Remember the scriptures – a laborer is worthy of his wage.
One of the connections my research established about service is that service turns servants into masters. I usually analyze it with the fact that when the white man came to Africa, many of the noble and wealthy sent out their slaves and wayward children to go to the white man’s school. With the power of English word and numeracy, these slaves and servants replaced the white men when they left at independence. They call them civil servants today. The civil servant in Nigeria rules today. Check out all those who have held power in Nigeria. Join me to reflect – Tafawa Balewa, a school teacher became Nigeria’s first Prime Minister. Shehu Shagari, a school teacher became Nigeria’s first Executive President. Olusegun Obasanjo a retired soldier became the first man to be elected twice as President of Nigeria. All the aberrant military leaders of Nigeria were servants of the people who grew in their servant-hood until they had the capacity to take over power.
What is happening here? It is that if you serve, you grow in service and those you serve depend on you and this gives you the power to do just as you please. You can launch yourself into greatness through service.
Let’s go back to the Jesus Christ Model of greatness. The scriptures had it that while he was on earth, he went about doing good – healing the sick, feeding the hungry – both those who hunger after righteousness and those who are hungry for food – he made the lame to walk, the blind to see, the dumb to talk, the dead to rise. Above all, he taught the people the word of God through his gospel, bringing light unto their soul. He laid his life down for his brothers and sisters. Our Heavenly Father did not just give him back his life, He glorified Jesus Christ and gave him exaltation him into the same place where He lives. One word that described all that Jesus Christ did that he is now called upon by all who walk this earth, for which every knee shall bow at the mention of his name is SERVICE.
We have countless opportunities to serve others. The family is set up by God the way it is so that each and every one of us would start from our cradle to learn to serve one another. Then we have kindred, villages, communities, local governments, states and country. We have the Church and kingdom, quorum classes, institute classes and councils and youth and other social groups through which we can provide service.
When you obtain or is called upon to serve in any position, do not use it to enrich yourself, to steal public or church money and property. Use the opportunity to help and serve others and you would live large in the heart of the people and they would call upon you all the time and since a laborer is worthy of his wage, the more you are called upon, the more of everything you can obtain by giving righteous service. In fact, those who would be great are not content to give a day’s labor for a day’s wage. They go the extra mile.
Using the BE, DO, HAVE method, start from where you are right now to be great by doing what Jesus Christ did – Serve and then you would have greatness. The savior Jesus Christ himself said that what he has done we would be able to do even greater.
Your Heavenly Father designed you for greatness. Your choice is to simply be what he has ordained for you by doing what our great exemplar, Jesus Christ, did and have the greatness that he has.
Now, that you know, I recommend you go to work.