“…for he will be great before the Lord.” – Luke 1:15

IT IS WITHOUT question many of us would have chosen Elijah’s calling over and above John the Baptist’s. Elijah had a lot of attractive aspects. John? Well, he lived much of his life in the wilderness, wore strange apparel, lived on an unusual diet and finished his days quite the opposite from the Old Testament prophet; Elijah was escorted to heaven by chariots of fire, witnessed by others with awe; John’s head was severed only to be displayed with such indignity before a partying crowd.

Who would you really choose? John was great before the Lord, but his ministry was bland in comparison to Elijah’s – well, so some think. The ways of the world influence our thinking and values more than we think. Is it any wonder as to why Paul exhorted us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds? This is not a one-time act of worship, but one of continual offering.

John’s office was unique, but he was not as popular as other charismatic prophets. I wonder how many would step forward to a secluded and obscure ministry, recognised by the few, knowing that it would bring great glory to God, without your name attached. “When I die, let my name die with me also” exclaimed George Whitefield.

Jesus said that no greater prophet had arisen than John the Baptist, but naturally we are not inclined to see it that way. We think that positions of prestige are great, but in God’s eyes laying low in humility is highly valued. How little we realise that a position of greatness, by God’s standards, is to serve one another, not striving to attain the highest office. Serving is to prefer others not just before but above ourselves. Ambition certainly fills the Church today to the point that until we gain a sense of self-importance, others are going to take a ‘back seat’.

We hear it often said “these are the days of Elijah”, but Elijah has already come (Mark 9:11-13). Elijah was no forerunner of the coming Messiah, but John was that very man. All this excitement with Elijah nowadays resembles the mentality of so many being enthralled with physical healings, prophecies and having authority over demonic strongholds (“…do not rejoice that the demons are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” – Luke 10:17-20), but where is Christ, the Messiah, in all of this; why is He given less prominence? You will soon find out where a believer’s interest lies when it comes to discussing signs, wonders and miracles as opposed to regeneration and conversion; what are they most enthusiastic about: physical or spiritual healing; a person healed of cancer or a soul that has been awakened and reborn by the Spirit of God?

What if, through our obedience to God, we live the rest of our lives amidst the ordinary places without the ‘highs and thrills’, the mundane place of employment or the less noticeable ministry in church? What if God has ordered such circumstances that are the making of you, not so much as in developing yourself, but that the life of God’s Son is made more manifest in your life for the benefit of others? That doesn’t sound so appealing to the flesh does it? It is not what you do amidst extraordinary events (anyone will jump with inspiration to those occasions) but what God does in you in the ordinary and mundane routine of life; is the grace of God transfiguring and putting the colour of His life amidst the monotony of day-to-day things? “I do not ask that You take them out of the world, [the ordinary stuff of life] but that You keep them from the evil one [kept alive by the power of God in the midst of evil]” (John 17:15).

Many of us forget that the big years aren’t necessarily away on the foreign mission field, or undertaking some prominent leadership position in the Church; they are equally so in the quiet and concealed years. Is God having His way in me now? That is all that matters to God, not our dreaming of future visions and positions of authority. If I am not ready to pick up a towel and wash the feet of my brother or sister (and not always in the literal sense; we can all get sentimental in such times at a church gathering) then I am disqualified to even consider any kind of leadership. “But whoever would be great among you must be your servant and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:43-45).

Leonard Ravenhill said, “Everybody wants my mantle, but nobody wants my sackcloth and ashes.” We can all admire the notability of David Brainerd, John Wesley, Adoniram Judson, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Hudson Taylor and Rees Howells, but the agony that comes with such a calling would deter many away. With much power comes great responsibility; with much authority comes great accountability and with high positions comes a baptism of great suffering that terminates all self-importance. The question remains before us as Oswald Chambers stated, “Are we willing to be broken bread and poured-out wine in Jesus Christ’s hands for others, to be spoilt for this age, for this life, this time, spoilt from every standpoint saving as we can disciple men and women to Him?” Not making replicas of ourselves but making disciples of Jesus Christ is the position of true greatness. John the Baptist’s ministry was summed up in these five words: “Behold! The Lamb of God…” and nothing should stamp our ministry, no matter how small or big, but that Jesus Christ be seen by others.