I’ll be honest with you. One of my greatest weaknesses is my desire to have my name in the spotlight.
At times, that desire comes from a self centered place. I want to be recognized for the work I’ve done, the results I’ve produced, and the impact I’ve had. That mindset started all the way back in eighth grade, nearly 17 years ago, when I told myself, “I want to be the greatest New Castle basketball player of all time.”
As I’ve gotten older, though, I’ve started to understand something important. Individual success will never fully satisfy me. In fact, the more I chased achievement alone, the more empty it often felt afterward. Because of that, I’ve tried to protect myself from allowing recognition and accomplishment to become my primary motivation. When they do, they can quietly become dangerous.
I’ve always been fascinated by greatness.
What makes someone the greatest at what they do? How do they live? What habits do they build every day? What separates them from everyone else? How do they consistently produce at such a high level?
In basketball, the answer always felt simple to me. The greatest players were usually the ones with the best statistics, the most wins, and the most championships.
Then life got more complicated.
As you move into medicine, business, leadership, and adulthood, the definition of greatness becomes harder to identify.
Is the greatest person the one who earns the most money? The one who performs the most surgeries? The most talented? The most confident? The one everyone respects? The one with the most followers or influence?
I’ve asked myself all of those questions.
And honestly, every time I think I’ve figured out the answer, life seems to humble me and point me in another direction.
There’s a story in the Bible in Luke where the disciples are arguing over which one of them is the greatest. At first glance, it almost sounds funny. Imagine being one of Jesus’ disciples and debating who ranks highest in the group.
But the deeper I read that passage, the more I realized something uncomfortable.
I’ve had that same conversation in my own mind.
Maybe you have too.
Not publicly. Most of us would never say it out loud. But internally, many of us wrestle with the same questions.
Am I good enough?
Am I important enough?
Am I successful enough?
Am I enough?
I think much of my desire to become “great” has actually come from a fear of not being enough.
The world teaches us that our value comes from what we accomplish. More money. More recognition. More promotions. More awards. More influence. More applause.
But Jesus teaches something completely different.
Even if you don’t believe in Jesus, I’d still encourage you to keep reading because His perspective on greatness challenges all of us.
When the disciples argued about who among them was the greatest, Jesus responded in a way they never expected. Here’s what He said in Luke 22:24–27.
24 Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. 25 Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ 26 But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. 27 Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves.
Jesus talks about this again in Matthew 23:5–12.
5 “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels.[b] 6 And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. 7 They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’
8 “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters.[d] 9 And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your Father. 10 And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you must be a servant. 12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Over time, I’ve slowly started realizing something that completely changes the way we think about greatness.
The greatest people are rarely the ones demanding attention.
They are rarely the loudest person in the room.
They are rarely obsessed with status, titles, or recognition.
The greatest people are usually the best servants.
They are the people who consistently show up for others. The people who care deeply. The people who make everyone around them better. The people who sacrifice when nobody is watching.
When I think about the greatest people in my own life, they are not the most famous people I know. They are the people who loved me the most, believed in me the most, encouraged me the most, and served others without asking for applause in return.
That kind of greatness looks very different from what the world celebrates.
So I’ll ask the question again.
The greatest among them: is it you?
Because maybe greatness is not about climbing higher than everyone else. Maybe greatness is about lowering yourself enough to serve everyone else.
I’m still working on this every single day. I fail at it often. But I hope you and I can grow in this together. I hope we become great at valuing people.
Great at encouraging people.
Great at appreciating people.
Great at loving people.
And ultimately, I hope we realize that the greatest of all time are the greatest servants of all time.
Until next time,
Stay positive
Stay persistent
Stay patient
#DrB
