As we celebrated Memorial Day in the United States on Monday and remembered all those who sacrificed their lives to serve their country, I couldn’t help but think of an important truth: Greatness requires sacrifice.
Whether we are talking about the ultimate sacrifice our heroes made for their country or other kinds of sacrifice that people make every day for the good of others, it is the sacrifice of oneself that leads to true greatness.
Besides our Memorial Day heroes, greatness can also be found in every corner of the earth, in class rooms, locker rooms, kitchens, farms, laboratories, hospitals, non-profit meeting rooms, factories, and in the hearts and actions of those who serve and sacrifice for a cause greater than themselves.
- Great scientists invest their lives in finding cures for cancer and other diseases.
- Great teammates sacrifice for each other.
- Great leaders selflessly serve their teams and organizations.
- Great managers give everything they have to bring out the best in others.
- Great marriages often sacrifice what each person wants for what the marriage needs.
- Great parents give of themselves to their children.
- Great social activists and entrepreneurs sacrifice money, brain power and resources to find new ways to improve the health of people in developing countries.
- Great nurses and doctors give their all to help their patients recover and keep them alive.
- Great folks in ministry sacrifice themselves to love and care for others.
- Great teachers sacrifice their time and energy to improve the lives of their students.
- Great athletes, actors and musicians sacrifice thousands of hours of practice to develop their talents that ultimately entertain and inspire audiences.
The list goes on...
So, if you want to be great, I hope you realize it’s not about what you can accumulate for yourself, but rather how much of yourself (your time, your energy, and your talents) you can give to others.
You may not give your life for your country, but you can give your life to a cause greater than yourself.
You can give yourself selflessly to others and become great in their eyes.
You don’t have to be great to serve and sacrifice. But you have to serve and sacrifice to be great.
How will you sacrifice and serve today?
- Jon
