Our Greatness

5 May

“I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.”  ~ Muhammad Ali

There’s great and then there’s great.  Ali claimed that he was the “greatest” and, for awhile, it seems, he most certainly was.  There was no one that could defeat him.  However, while he may have claimed that he was the greatest, that was just in the realm of boxing.  There are others who claim to be the greatest artist, singer, performer, doctor, surgeon, accountant, et cetera.  Perhaps, in their respective fields, they may even be.  Or, it may be hype to garner attention and business.

We have been told since we were very young that we should not claim to be the greatest because that would be a sin of pride.  We need to be humble in our thoughts, attitudes, and practices.  But we can claim to be great in one respect: we have been endowed with an immortal soul that was created in God’s image and likeness.  There is nothing greater than that in the entire universe.

When we recognize that we are created in God’s likeness, we can appreciate and claim our great heritage.  That greatness is not a greatness that lords it over others though.  It is a greatness that embraces the virtues of God Himself:  patience, love, humility, forgiveness, meekness, and the like.

FAITH ACTION:  Thank God for creating your great, immortal soul and ask Him to help you to live properly this day.