READ: Luke 18:10-17
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. :- Matthew 18:4
I once attended an international gathering of pastors of the largest churches in their countries. “Surely,” I thought, “I must now be one of the greatest pastors too. This is the company I want to be in, and I am going to stay close to these wonderful and great men of God.”
Soon, we attended the conference and when I arrived in the entrance lobby, the administrator walked up to me and stuck a “V.I.P” badge on me. I thought to myself, “I am going higher with every passing minute.” The select few with the V.I.P. badges were escorted to the front rows of the hall. As I sat there, I looked back and knew God had separated me from the ranks and had “promoted me”. I now had my confirmation that I was indeed one of the greatest.
It was years later that the Lord gave me a new understanding of whom He considered to be great. The greatest amongst us is the most humble. Jesus never talked about the size of church, the car you drive, or the money you have. The divine measurement of greatness is completely different from the earthly.
Actually, the greatest pastor at that conference was the most humble amongst us. Unfortunately, success and wealth are usually not compatible with humility. Most wealthy and successful people lose the humility they had. The greatest amongst us was not the one with the V.I.P. badge, but the most humble one at heart.