What Greatness Actually Is
We have been fed a lie about greatness. The lie says greatness is fame, wealth, power, applause. By that standard, almost no man who has ever lived is great.
Real greatness is measured by what a man builds — and what he builds is people, not portfolios. A great man is a man whose presence made the people around him better.
“ Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave — just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.”
Matthew 20:26-28How a Man Is Forged
Steel does not become a blade in one day. It is heated, hammered, cooled, heated again, folded, hammered, cooled.
God works the same way with men. Every hard season, every failure, every loss, every long stretch of being overlooked is part of the forging.
THE HAMMER AND THE HEAT
Every man is either being forged or being wasted. There is no third option.
What separates the forged from the wasted is not the size of the hammer. It is what the man does when the hammer comes down.
“ Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
James 1:2-3Brotherhood — You Do Not Forge Alone
Here is another lie we're sold: that a real man does it alone. The lone wolf dies alone. The pack survives.
Find those men. Fight for those men. Be that man for someone else.
“ Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10“ Make friends with people who want the best for you.”
Jordan B. PetersonThe Disciplines of a Great Man
- He keeps his word. If he said it, he does it.
- He shows up. On time, prepared, ready. Every day.
- He works hard. Not for applause. Because the work deserves it.
- He tells the truth. Even when it costs him.
- He controls his temper. Anger is a tool, not a master.
- He protects the weak. Always.
- He is generous. With money, time, attention, forgiveness.
- He repents quickly. When he is wrong, he says so.
- He reads. The Bible first. Then history, biography, hard books.
- He prays. On his knees, out loud, every day.
“ You cannot be a great man and a lazy man. It has never happened. It will never happen. The two are opposites.”
Dennis PragerYou Can Be That Man
You may not feel like that man today. Do not believe the lie that the men in Scripture we're a different species. They we're ordinary men who did one thing: they kept showing up.
Start with one discipline. Keep your word for one week. Then another. Do this for a year and you will not recognize yourself.
“ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Galatians 6:9