I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. (Gen 12:2)
As God spoke these words, He announced a dual objective: “I want to make your name great,” and “You shall be a blessing.” God’s promise to make Abraham’s name great was not a promise of fame, but a guarantee He would shape great character in him.
God is not so interested in ‘notoriety’ as He is in the development of the inner qualities of character. The biblical concept of “fame” focuses on the quality of the person’s trustworthiness, integrity and spiritual weight.
That’s important to remember, since today we live in a society which mocks its own habit for “making people famous for nothing more than merely being well known.”
Thus fame today may be acquired through scandal as quickly as through accomplishment.
But Abraham’s name became great through learning a walk of worship and a pathway of persistent pursuit of God’s will. That’s kingdom character! It’s the path to which God calls His people to walk. Greatness in the kingdom of God is very different from greatness as the world around us determines…Jesus said, "whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.” (Mat 20:26)
A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold. (Prov 22:1)
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