Exceeding Greatness

 I find it hilarious that God knows the perfect season for everything. In this season of my life God has given me the opportunity to become a student leader at Emmaus. At first I wasn’t sure if it was where He wanted me to be this point in my life. Because I honestly thought I wasn’t ready to lead other students. So I thought long and hard about it, and alongside as getting encouragements from the Emmaus leaders as well as confirmations from the Lord that I finally knew that it was where He wanted me to be.

In the beginning I remembered thinking “What did I get myself into? I don’t know what I am doing!  I don’t even feel like I got my life all together, how can I be a student leader and lead other students if I don't know what I am doing!?” but then I remembered sometime last year one of the Emmaus staff named Matt Ko said that leadership isn’t a title but rather being an influence. Holding on those words of truth I gave no more thought to the deception that was seeping through my mind. Along with other edifying words from all the staff, I finally had accept that they knew what they were doing when they asked me to become a student leader.
I'm going to admit it was difficult at first. I had to learn the concept of being one with all the other student leaders. I had to learn to work with each one of them. With different personalities in such a small group it was going to be interesting to see how we would interact and communicate with one another.

A few weeks after getting to know each other better and only getting a glimpse of what God was going to do that semester, we were faced with different challenges as a group. We knew the semester was going to be amazing, we knew God was going to move, but when midterms hit I think we all felt the blow of academics and ministry at the same time.  It was hard to hold on to His promises when we felt like we couldn’t balance anything, and we didn’t have enough time to study and hang out with other students.

            It wasn’t until we were asked to listen to “Exceeding Greatness” by Pastor Benjamin that gave me a new perspective on looking at my current situation. He talked about how we always had greatness in us through Christ. When we accepted Jesus into our hearts He has already put that greatness inside of us. Its just that we don't see it manifest until maturity. I kinda thought of it as an inheritance. When we were born into our families we always had an inheritance. Just cuz we didn't see it when we were younger doesn't mean that we never had it. It is over time when we mature that our inheritance is given to us. That's the way I kinda pictured it in my head. Pastor Benjamin also said a lot of great things in the sermon, but one thing I loved was when he talked about the power within us is far greater than what we are currently going through. That set me completely free from what I was going through. Pastor Benjamin at one point asked "Do you wake up every morning knowing that you have exceeding greatness?" This made me realize that I wasn't expecting God to do great things. I got so caught up in what I was going through right now that I didn't bother to expect amazing things that were yet to come. "Yesterday's ceiling is today's floor" this basically means that what we experienced yesterday should be the floor expectation of what today is going to look like. We need to EXPECT God to do great things through us. We need to know that His power is inside of us and that we really do have the authority to do the things He has called us to do.

This podcast was exactly what I needed. I feel that there were many times I was tested in my position as a leader. Many times I felt discouraged because I didn’t feel like I was capable to make and sort of difference in given situations. Not only that I would question if I could even say the right things at that time. But after listening to this sermon I was totally set free. It encouraged me to know that I had greatness living in me. In one of my favorite movies “Megamind” the main quote was “You were destined for greatness”. That’s true to a certain extent but the truth is there is greatness already in each and every one of us, through Christ. Knowing that as I grow the greatness inside of me will manifest more and more excites me! Not only that, all the fear I had about not making a difference fell to the ground. Knowing that I lack nothing and I have access to all and more of what Jesus did in this world.  (John 14:12) The power that conquered the grave lives within me! (Romans 8:11) It is this living breathing truth that allows me not to be shaken in the midst of hard times, but rather will arise and shine!

After shifting my mindset I was able to see my daily tasks as a blessings rather than something I could get frustrated over because it added to another pile on my to-do-list. I had exceeding greatness inside of me, what more did I need? :)

Pastor Benjamin's Exceeding Greatness Podcast right here.