Let go of good to be great
Wait…don’t take it literally and say to your spouse I am leaving our marriage because I am going for a great marriage.
But in order to become great you need to let go of certain good things you are holding onto. You know what I am talking about. God has already started talking to you.
You know those good things that everyone is doing and so you are doing but you know, that you know, you are called to do something great.
Peter knew sitting inside that boat in that stormy sea is good and safe. Because all the 11 other disciples were doing the same. It’s good to sit inside the boat. But he knew there was something inside of him asking him to step outside the boat and walk on water.
Now you know what I am talking about.
Hey Nehemiah, it’s good to stay in your palace and enjoy the luxuries because that is what all other people are doing. Why do you bother unnecessarily about a broken wall several hundred miles away. Maybe you can write a letter of sympathy to the people of Jerusalem and send some money to rebuild the wall. It’s a ‘good’ thing to do that.
But it is a ‘great’ thing to roll up your sleeves and come out of that palace and step into that mess and say ‘arise and build’ and complete the wall.
The legacy that Nehemiah left is being spoken even today in all the churches. He is one of the greatest leaders. Jim Collins, the author of the book Good to Great wrote,
Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. We don’t have great schools, principally because we have good schools.
We don’t have great government, principally because we have good government. Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life. The vast majority of companies never become great, precisely because the vast majority become quite good-and that is their main problem.
Jesus said to a group of fishermen “come follow me and I will make you fishers of men”. In other words he was saying “Guys you are doing a ‘good’ job. You are ‘good’ fisher- men. But it is time to do a ‘great’ job. It’s time to become fishers of men.”
These disciples of Jesus changed the world we currently live in today for good. These are truly great men. These people left the GOOD to become GREAT.
Paul said once “If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.”7
In other words Paul was saying “I left the GOOD to become GREAT.”
Those things are not bad stuffs, being well educated and being in a highly paid job, being in a well reputed family. It is not bad. It is good stuff. But Paul knew some- thing great awaited him. It is that burning passion. It’s that one thing that keeps you awake at night. It’s that dream of yours that God has put in your heart.
God says, unless you leave the GOOD you cannot become GREAT! I am telling you it’s hard. It’s harder than leaving the bad things, because you know bad things will ruin your life. So as soon as you come out of it you won’t regret. But leaving good to become great is pain- ful. Because you won’t become great immediately. It’s a process. During this process the thought of leaving the good will be excruciatingly painful. That’s why you need to keep your vision of greatness always before you so that you won’t focus on the past. You need to keep dreaming about your greatness.
Moses had to face the same dilemma in life.
The scripture says,
“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be
known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger.”8
Moses had to leave the luxuries of Egypt to become great. He let go of good to become great. It must have been excruciatingly painful to live in that desert as a shepherd for several years after living in an Egyptian palace right from his birth. But he knew he was made for greatness.
And you are made for greatness.
That’s why you need to let go of good to become great. What’s your Egypt that you need to leave? Remember you have a choice. You can choose to be in the same place all your life or you can let go of good to be great.
Jim Collins in his book said “Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice.”
It’s your choice. Greatness beckons!
Do you know I have decided to let go of good to be great ever since God gave me this word. I am determined that greatness awaits me. I know, that I know, what God wants me to do. And I am ready for greatness. Are you ready for greatness? Are you ready for a great marriage? Are you ready for a great career? Are you ready for a great financial status? Are you ready for a great future?
