Proverbs 20:4

Those too lazy to plow in the right season will have no food at harvest.

Nothing great comes without great effort.

This applies to the spiritual life as well.  If you are not doing the work it takes to get closer to God, to be conformed to the image of Christ, do not expect to wake up some morning automatically a mature man or woman of God and totally tuned in to Him and His every whisper.

You do not become intimately close to anyone without intentionality, including Jesus.

Part of intimacy is intense listening.  How else do you tune in to someone, or get to know them?  How else do you know and understand what they enjoy?

What does God want from you?

How do you know?

Belief without action does not transform you into greatness.  Believe and read about something all you want.  Without practice, you do not grow.  Without actually listening to the Master, you master nothing.

Matthew 20:26-28

Jesus did not come to earth in order to have servants to obey Him, but rather He came to serve others.  This is the upside-down kingdom path to true greatness.

Who do you serve?

Forcing people to obey you is tyrannical.  Many have this false impression of God.  But Jesus revealed what God is really like.  Serving all out of love even when they give you the finger–that is powerfully moving.  And can only be done when empowered by the Spirit, when brimming over with the indwelling love of YHWH spilling over on to others who hurt us.

The greatest in God’s kingdom is the one who serves the most.