It is so easy to create a platform via social media. You can do that with zero resources, zero credibility, zero track record and zero backing from Heaven or even hell, and be deceived by the little traction you get and conclude that you’re doing something. Thus, the average person is most likely to suffer from main character syndrome, even in Christian circles. Not everyone is a Moses or an Elijah or a Samuel. Not everyone is going to be a CEO, the next hottest thing in town or a household name. In fact, there’s a 1% chance you’re going to be the face of a generation. Yet, everyone seems to think that that’s their destiny.
It’s the disease of the world, the pride of life. Every footballer starts their career wanting to be the new Messi and have the kind of career he had. Meanwhile, Messi himself did not even start life with that mindset. There’s a thin line between being courageous and being arrogant. Being arrogant will only cause God to resist you rather than exalt you. That’s the kind of pride that brought Lucifer crushing down. It’s not a blank cheque to dream big. There are many things outside of your boundaries you should never seek. If you do, it is covetousness.
If you read the Scriptures, all the “main characters” “shied away” from being the main character. David was just a shepherd boy in the field of Bethlehem. Moses was trying to convince God he shouldn’t be the one to deliver the people of Israel from Egypt. Jeremiah was looking for an excuse not to be a prophet to the nations. Jesus chose fishermen and made great destinies out of them. Everyone chosen did not count themselves as qualified. Today, we are the ones desperately telling God what He should do when He has already predestined our lives before time immemorial.
Remember, God did not use Joseph until he died to the main character syndrome. In the dispensation of the church, the focus of God is to raise a people as one person who has reached the full stature of Christ. “We all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”. That notwithstanding, a few predestined people have been chosen to sit in particular offices to equip the rest of the saints in the work of their ministry. They are not mediators. They are servant leaders. They are not celebrities. They are frontrunners.
Heaven will be full of surprises. Why? The woman who sweeps the church, who was never in the spotlight, will be wearing a glorious crown. Anna the prophetess, the one who looked like she was wasting her life away in the temple, will be rewarded tremendously for standing in the gap for a generation as she prayed the Messiah into birth. It’s not about being in the spotlight, but about following the light on your path. As great as Elijah and Elisha were, they were not predestined to be authors of any Scriptures. As honourable as Moses and Daniel were, they were not in the lineage of Jesus.
When men remember history, they cannot remember a team; they only need a face. So we know names like Sir Isaac Newton, King David, Diego Maradona, Shakespeare, Alexander the Great etc, but these people had men. They weren’t lone rangers. Sir Isaac Newton said, “if I have been able to see further, it’s because I stood on the shoulders of giants.” As a result, we think that the greatest are the most remembered. We forget the words of Jesus so quickly. Remember, what God calls a success (like a 33-year old dying naked on a Cross) is not what men call a success. Jesus Himself said John the Baptist is the greatest among all born of a woman. Think about it!
Heaven does not weigh men according to their fame, possessions, achievements and escapades. Heaven judges our good works according to the Will of God predestined beforehand that we should walk in. Any other thing I do outside of what is written in my books is of no use, really. Therefore, we are not here to do it all. We are here to do what God predestined for us to do. Once you find your place, your people and your purpose, pour out your best to purposely do all you can to bring pleasure to the One who predestined you. Because Heaven will not reward popularity; God will reward those who played their part even though the spotlight was never on them.
Thus, you’re here as God’s masterpiece, prepared beforehand for good works that you should walk in them. Your main objective is to please Him, not “look good” to your generation. If you are to be a missionary to a village in His books but you rather prefer to be a pastor of a megachurch, you have missed the point. We need to know this. Exploits in this Kingdom is not generic. Killing Goliath is exploits. Being thrown in the lion’s den is also exploits. Being saved from death is a testimony. Dying for the Gospel is also a testimony. It all depends on what is specifically written in your books.
The main character syndrome in the Body of Christ is as a result of how we see the purpose of our lives. We see it from an individualistic perspective. However, the purpose for your life is simply a tiny bit of the bigger purpose God is wanting to achieve. In other words, there is a purpose God wants to achieve, and you, other people, angels, events and sometimes even animals interplay to bring that purpose to life. If you have an individualistic view of your destiny, you’ll see yourself as the main character in life. Locate yourself in the cooperate destiny within the Will of God and you’ll play your role faithfully without envying what another is doing.
Andrew is the one who introduced Peter to Jesus but at the end of the day, Peter is well-known, given a more prominent role and even had the privilege of writing Scripture. If Andrew was to see it from an individualistic perspective, he can become envious, bitter and feel cheated by God. Meanwhile, Andrew is among the 12 given a special reward in Heaven. If we are all advancing the same kingdom and bringing glory to the same God, wherein lies the envy? Stay in your lane and run your race. It’s not a competition.
See, we need to redefine what we think greatness is. Yes, we are all great and will do great things, but not according to a generalized worldly view. Joseph secured a place in Egypt for Israel but Moses delivered them out. If you don’t believe me, think about Jesus’ purpose and count how many people, events, angels and even animals came together for God’s purpose to be fulfilled. From Abraham to David to Anna to Simeon to Mary to the fish with coins in its mouth to the donkey to Simon of Cyrene to Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea to His 12 disciples all the way to you and I.
See the purpose of your life as part of the jigsaw puzzle. We all have individual unique callings coming together to accomplish the bigger picture of God’s purpose. Therefore, if I’m Joseph’s brother, I actually need Joseph to succeed because his success is tied to my destiny too. If I’m Esther, I need Mordecai. If I’m Ruth, I need Naomi. If I’m Ezra, Nehemiah is not my competition. He’s rather a contributor to the same overall destiny of God in my generation.
What God wants to do with you didn’t start from you and won’t end with you. If you fail, posterity will suffer because of you but God’s grand plan will come to pass regardless. Therefore, play your role wherever you find yourself. Die to the idea of becoming great in the eyes of your generation. You haven’t failed if your generation doesn’t know you. You’re not here to be known by men. You’re here to know and please Him who sent you here. May we not crave for what God never gave us.
As we have discussed this superiority complex, it’s necessary that we balance it by talking about inferiority complex. Otherwise, it may look as though greatness is a crime, thereby exalting false humility. To be continued…