The Path from Mediocrity to Greatness By Reggie McNeal

Make 2025 A Journey to Greatness

There is a path we travel that moves us from mediocrity to greatness.

“Deliberate mediocrity is a sin.”  I can still recall hearing Elton Trueblood speak those opening words in the chapel at the seminary I attended over four decades ago.  Despite his quiet Quaker spirit and diminutive presence, Trueblood’s declaration sounded like a roar that caused my spirit to leap as if suddenly shot with adrenaline.  Years later, I am still as thrilled and motivated by them as when I first heard them.  They were—and are—words of liberation for me.

Until that morning, I had bought into the prevailing notion that aspiring to greatness was somehow unbecoming of a Christian.  I had grown up in a spiritual culture that viewed the desire to be “great” as pitted against the virtue of humility. Since then, I have learned that greatness in the kingdom of God is a journey toward humility.

Journey of Humility

I also now understand that humility does not correlate with the brightness level of the spotlight on leaders.  Being obscure does not necessarily render a leader humble.  Plenty of no-names are racked by envy, jealousy, and pride.  Nor does being famous automatically rule out a leader’s being humble.  Humility and celebrity can coexist.  Jesus proves this point.

Humility derives from the leader’s awareness of where his or her source of strength lies.  The ambition to become a great spiritual leader frees the spirit from the idolatry of self-centeredness because greatness in the spiritual world cannot be pursued without cultivating God-consciousness.

Jesus’ disciples struggled with ambition typically associated with the desire to be great by worldly standards (Mark 9:33-35; Mark 10:35-45).  They were aiming for the greatness associated with position and power.  In neither of these discussions does Jesus disparage the ambition to be great.  He wants to point their pursuit of it in the right direction.  He seizes the moment to contrast the prevailing notions of greatness with the genuine article and challenges them to see greatness spiritually.

Perspective on Greatness

Jesus’ idea of greatness revolves around humility and service – a far cry from our typical associations with this concept.

Unfortunately, Jesus’ disciples often still don’t get it when it comes to the pursuit of greatness.  Plenty of spiritual leaders hunger for the worldly trappings of greatness: position, power, and privilege.  Calling this ambition something else (a “call” or “mission” or “vision” or any number of other euphemisms that spiritual leaders frequently invoke) doesn’t make it any less what it is.  Sadly, the current culture of the North American church seems to reward this lack of character rather than repudiate it.

Make no mistake: greatness is not just about character.  It’s also about effectiveness.  When Jesus talked about serving others, he assumed that the service would be helpful to its recipients, meaning that leaders would be competent.  All great leaders in the Bible are characterized by their effectiveness, as well as their character.  They didn’t just have great hearts; they had great leadership capacity.

Achieving Greatness

We are desperate for great leaders in every sector of our society – politics, health care, education, etc.  We are even more desperate for great spiritual leaders. Leaders who bless people, who inspire and encourage them.  Leaders leave people better off than before the leader entered their lives.  Leaders are both humble and helpful.

Such greatness is earned.  It is not a gift; it is a reward.  It is not accidental; it is cultivated.  Others do not bestow it; it is self-determined. If you are a spiritual leader, you do not need to “hope” it happens.  You can plot a course to make it happen.  “Am I a great leader?” or “Do I want to be a great leader?” are questions only you can answer.  You will answer them one way or another.

Please, for God’s sake, go for greatness!

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Reggie McNeal is a Christian thought leader. For over 30 years, he has dedicated himself to helping everyday people and other leaders pursue more intentional lives. His professional experience is wide-ranging, from serving as a denominational executive, congregational leader, leadership coach, the founding pastor of a new church, and more.

Today’s post is adapted from the introduction to his book Practicing Greatness: 7 Disciplines of Extraordinary Spiritual Leaders(Josey-Bass 2006).

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