First Name, Greatest. Last Name, Ever.

       I just got back form the first ever 9pm mass with the Catholic Terps at the School of Public Health! (I was told they will write books about that mass, so I wanted everyone to know I was there)  One thing that really got me thinking from the homily tonight was the idea that we are all made for greatness.

picture via Digging the Word

       If you are like me you have spent much your life denying your greatness; whether you truly believe that you aren't that great or you think it is conceited to admit your greatness to yourself.  I think that my life has been a pretty even mix of the two. 

       If you truly do not think that you are great, consider your creator.  God created you.  The same God who created the oceans, mountains, sunrises, sunsets, He created you.  What hit me today while I was listening at mass is that it is really disrespectful to think of myself as worthless or insignificant.  I am a masterpiece, you are a masterpiece, of the Almighty.  God could have just as easily never created us but he has a plan of greatness for each one of us.  Who are we to decide that we or anyone else is worthless?  God knew what he was doing when he created us!

       If you are afraid of admitting your greatness to yourself for fear of conceit you may also be missing opportunities to use your greatness.  I know that for me this fear is very real.  I am scared that admitting to myself I have a gift will lead to one of two things : 1) I will become super conceited and nobody will like me, including God. 2)If I admit to myself that I am great then I am setting myself up for expectations and ultimately failure.(fear of failure is a whole different post).  My point is that these reasons I give myself for denying greatness don’t cut it.  When I refuse to see my gifts I feel useless in The Great Commission.  I am not allowing those gifts to be used for their purpose, I am wasting them hiding behind false humility.

       We are called to see ourselves as God sees us, flawed but great!  We are not great at everything, don’t get too excited.  And yes, pride and conceit are very real temptations but we can resist them if we choose to view our greatness not as our own, but as God’s. 

      What are some of your gifts that make you great?  Do you think that you are great?  Why or why not?  Comments?  Questions?  Suggestions?  Drop me a line in the comments below!