A Reflection on Greatness

I attended a recognition service yesterday for a great man. A man I have only known for five years, however, his greatness far exceeds that time period. I sat and listened as friends, co-workers and family came to express their affection and respect, to share stories of his fairness in dealing with others and to bear witness of his love of family, job and church. A number of gifts were presented to show appreciation for his service in various capacities and of his dreams which continue to come to fruition. He was humbled by the attention and I truly think a bit intimidated by the praise and accolades. He is and continues to be a great man. A man who administers justice through the legal courts of our county and as we heard from many voices, a man who would temper that justice with mercy. Is this why I call him a great man? Perhaps, it is a partial reason, but primarily I consider him a great man because of his walk and his unfailing faith in God. I have seen his faith in good times and in tough times and can say that it never wavered during the dark days. The way he lives his life for God makes him great in the eyes of many people and his often silent witness has always pointed to Christ as his source of strength and ability.

A program like this always makes me think, "What would I like for people to say about me if I am ever recognized for some type of service? Would anyone someday be typing on a blog and call me a great man? How do I live my life so that I take advantage of every moment of every day for God's purpose in my life?" It matters not whether I am successful in my career, whether I have lots of friends, if my financial investments prove to be wise or if I accumulate possessions that other people envy. These are some of the qualities which the world would consider great, but God does not care about these things. "And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8).

To be honest, I have more years behind me than I do ahead. And even if that were not the case, the scriptures tell us that we are not even promised tomorrow, regardless of our age and health. (James 4:14). How WE spend OUR time is of great importance. How I spend MY time is of the utmost importance. Am I going to spend the coming time living for and pointing others to Christ? I can only hope and pray that I will. Will I have times of failure? Of course, I am human. The man recognized yesterday had faults, but those faults were overcome by the power of God in his life.

To sum up my thoughts today, I'd like to share some of the lyrics from one of my favorite Clint Black songs that speak to me about this:

"Spend My Time" (Clint Black/Hayden Nicholas [2003])

"I'm gonna spend my time, like it's going out of style
I'm moving the bottom line better than a country mile
I still have hills to climb before I hit that wall,
I won't go quietly into that dark night,
There'll be no more burning daylight,
I'll be living in every moment that I'm in,
I'm gonna spend my time, like it's going out of style........"

Let's determine in our own hearts and souls to spend every moment of our time for God.

Be God's,
Jimmy