Throughout history we hear of individuals who has been dubbed with the title of, “The Great” such as Phillip the Great, Alexander the Great, and Ivan the Great. Why does history remember these men as, “The Great” while forgetting to mention countries, nations and the millions of other people who had walked the earth?
Frederick II of Prussia was one of the pillars that history has so knighted, “The Great.” He lived during the 18th century and was a clever diplomat however, is best known for his military exploits. Frederick the Great is a man whom Napoleon Bonaparte regarded as the greatest tactical genius of all time and is recorded in, “A History of Prussia,” as saying to his army while visiting Frederick’s tomb, “Gentlemen, if this man were still alive I would not be here.”
However, if Frederick II would have died in his youth he would have been remembered as Frederick the Not-So-Great. Initially, he devoured arts and was intensely interested in the subject. So interested was he in the things not involving the throne and his father’s legacy that his tyrannical father killed Frederick’s best friend while making him watch. Quickly thereafter he submitted to his father’s will (can you blame him) and ultimately his purpose.
You may say well that would be an easy choice, be King of Prussia or a painter? Yet, as Malcolm Forbes says, “It’s so much easier to suggest solutions when you don’t know too much about the problem.” What is holding you back from the pursuit of your purpose? Is it money? Belief? Family? Age? Life will present opportunities for you operate in your purpose however, those opportunities will pass you by if you fail to recognize them. If you are struggling with finding your purpose watch my youtube video titled, “7 Questions to Discovering your Purpose.”
My study of history has proven one thing to me that people are not remembered for being good at what they do, the amount of money they make or how they look. They are remembered for how they affected the lives of other people. Good or bad the more people they effected the more they are remembered. When you find the purpose that God created you for expand your vision to positively effect the lives of as many people you can then you will be remembered as, “You the Great.”
The unique thing about all of these men throughout history is that they accepted the name. This was not a locker room nickname that was past out in jest, their names were literally rewritten with the phrase, “the Great,” meaning that they believed themselves to be worthy of greatness. Do you feel that you are worthy? Two men, both came from the same Creator, one is born a prince and the other a pauper. When the pauper speaks others keep walking ignoring his words, while those same people will run to fulfill any desire that the prince requests. What is the difference? Is the difference money? Power? Influence? Or does the man who believes that he possesses greatness create such things?
Your time has come for your named to be changed from David to David the Great, from Kathy to Kathy the Great. When you were born the genius of heaven exploded, don’t you dare live this life thinking anything less than you are Great.
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