The Fruit of Humility: Content vs. Greatness

My name is Joseph Yoo and I serve in the college ministry called Living Stones at a church called Grace Ministries International. I guess you would call me a Praise Leader (though I really don't like that "title") for the ministry. Serving in such a manner for the past 5 years, pride becomes an issue being up on a pulpit with the limelight shining ever so brightly. In my early years, I visioned great visions. Here in this post I want to challenge what that word "great" means. I visioned and dreamed that I would be on stage alongside with Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman and the gang, leading thousands to singing praise songs of love and adoration to the One and only King of Kings--our Lord Jesus. I dream of writing praise songs that speak of correct Doctrine and Theology that will shape the multitudes and sharpen their spiritual walk with the Lord in regards to defending the faith. I have a vision to preach the Gospel to the multitudes seeing a vast wave come towards the spiritual altar receiving the Lord Jesus in faith, leading to Justification, Sanctification, Glorification and the Adoption as Children of God.

What is great? Here I want to give you the dialogue I had between my Loving Lord and myself.

Joseph: "When will You send me Lord? When will You use me for even greater things than these?"

Father, in His still small powerful voice: "Joseph, what is great? If I were to call you to set up chairs for the rest of your life in a small, 20 people large church, letting go of your desire for the praise ministry, and this was My will for you, will that be considered great in your eyes? What is great Joseph?"

(Silence filled the chambers in my heart. I was awestruck. I was humbled.)

I responded in fear and trembling: "My God...whatever it is that You call me to do according to Your will, that alone is great... Whether You call me to let go of the Praise Ministry and to set up chairs for a small, 20 people large church until the day I die, that is great in my eyes because, Oh Lord, Your will alone is great...because...You are great."

"Your will alone is great". How do we measure greatness? By what standard do we judge what is great? Is greatness measured by the number of people being served? Convicted? Led to repentance? Do we consider the work of Billy Graham greater than that of another unknown person who is serving a small church in some third world country, both obeying the will and call of God? Or, is greatness measured simply because our God is great and whatever He does, whatever He wills, is great because He is great? A redundant question, I know.

When we begin to understand that God's standard of judging what is good, just, righteous, love, is according to Himself and His own character because He is the highest, supreme standard of what is Good, Just, Righteous and Love, then we are able to see by what standard God deems as Great--Himself.

This conversation happened about 2 years ago; a conversation that would shape the rest of my life.

I still believe in dreaming and visioning big and great things; however, if I were to deem great dreams and visions based on the multitude, based on anything else rather than the supreme standard of what Great is, who is, my God, I feel that I have lost the meaning of what it means to vision and dream.

"If You Oh Lord will prevent me from serving You in any fashion or form, then my life will be in utter despair. As long as You will allow me to serve You in any way possible, my life will be content, my life will have purpose and meaning. May this be my full heart's desire oh Lord."

In order to dream and vision correctly, humility is required. Why? Because the fruit of humility, is being content with whatever God calls you to do. I have already charged that whatever God calls you to do IS great because He is great. The question remains: will you be content though His will may not seem to please your eye?

In conclusion...