The greatest among you will be the servant of all. So said Jesus to his bickering disciples as they debated who would be the kingpin.

Greatness in God’s Kingdom is different from the world’s estimation of great. Some of the most despicable people are lauded as ‘great’ men and women because of the influence they exert, yet their lives display none of the characteristics of true greatness.

King David said of God “thy gentleness hath made me great.” (2 Samuel 22:36 KJV)

Gentleness may not be the attribute that springs to mind when we think of greatness, but the Kingdom is often counterintuitive. God chooses the things that are not to shame the things that are!

I say this as a premise to the following verse from Genesis 26, our entrepreneurial journey chapter…

“And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great:” (Genesis 26:13 KJV)

Good delights in the prosperity of His servant we are told in Psalm 35:27.

Our Father is not averse to abundance.

Jesus said :

“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” (John 10:10 AMP)

The devil is the idea killer. The thief of high and holy thoughts. The destroyer of dreams.

Whereas God the Holy Ghost comes to lead us into a promised land of fruitful service satan stands in the road seeking to bar our way.

And if he cannot push us back, he’ll employ a different tactic and drive us frantically forward until we stumble in the way.

The record of Jesus’ promise in John is not the only place He spoke about abundance. Elsewhere he issued a warning…

“And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” (Luke 12:15 KJV)

The prosperity we are promised is not only outward. The world wants our eyes exclusively on the temporal rewards and to falsely consider outward adornments the garb of greatness.

Go Forward

With that said, my favourite part of this verse is the slice that sandwiched between great and greater:

“He went forward.”

This is relevant at every stage of the journey, from small beginnings to glorious endings we will always be called to step forward in obedience.

Greatness doesn’t always come in the way, and certainly not as quickly, as we would often like. The feeble focus of the world on the here-and-now can make you feel like a failure if you are not seeing a remarkable increase at every turn.

Don’t be phased.

Your victory is assured, and your rewards are guaranteed. Even if this world refuses to yield its stores to your hand, you are accumulating a heavenly account with every obedient step you choose to take.

Go forward!

Keep going forward.

Even one tiny stubbornly believing step at a time is progress.

Don’t look back or crumble under pressure.

Fix your eyes on the prize and serve God through your creative contribution to the world with enthusiasm.

Fragrant and Thorny

I’m not going to lie, sometimes things will flourish into financially profitable enterprises, other times they won’t. You’ll most likely face as many disappointments along the way as you do delights.

Faithful-preneurism is not a bed of roses. And if it were it would be both fragrantly beautiful… and thorny!

Take God’s hand knowing that greatness and increase are possible, but the pathway there may be somewhat rocky at times.

We have all heard the saying that “with great power comes great responsibility”. Scripture also says that those who presume to teach, lead, or influence others, will face a stricter judgement (James 3:1). This is no small thing.

Don’t be in a hurry to “wax great” because waxing great also comes with requirements that demand deeper and deeper consecration. Many have crumbled because their reach and influence extended beyond their character and ability to carry their notoriety with humility.

In a sense, as John the Baptist so eloquently described, an increase of God’s anointed work in and through our lives requires a parallel decrease in selfish ambitions. He becomes greater, we become smaller in our own eyes, increasingly aware that without Him we can do nothing.

God is working a good work in you and will bring it to completion. He is a master craftsman and will not be cutting corners or rushing through the process.

Don’t be in a hurry to see it happen. Trust the Master to do His work well.