By Alice Lock
I recently came across a poem titled ‘The Dash Poem’ by Linda Ellis. It is a simple, but thought-provoking poem that talks about the dash between a deceased’s date of birth and date of death found on a tombstone. That dash represents a life spent on Earth.
After reading the poem, I spent a considerable amount of time thinking about my own dash. How have I been living my dash? If my life were to come to an end now, what would my eulogy be like? Would I be proud of the things mentioned? Or would my family and friends struggle with writing one because there wasn’t much to say about my mediocre life?
What is greatness?
I believe most people want to lead a great life because greatness exists in us. But the world’s definition of greatness – wealth, success and power – may not be the same as God’s definition of greatness, which is to be a servant (Matthew 20:26).
That is why in my averageness I continue to aspire for greatness. I desire to be a great wife, a great mother, a great teacher, a great leader and the list goes on.
God has destined us for greatness when He breathed His spirit into us (Gen 2:7).
Through Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins, we have been made right with God and have become children of God. With the Holy Spirit in us, God is transforming us day by day to be more like Christ, full of love, kindness and goodness.
All of us are created in the image of God and we are the bearer of God’s goodness. Hence, we can also take concrete steps to intentionally live out God’s greatness in our lives.
The pursuit of greatness
Our living years are fleeting, yet we sometimes live as though we have hundreds of years ahead of us. We spend much of our time and energy chasing success in the form of wealth, power and success.
There is nothing inherently wrong in having those ambitions.
However, in the pursuit of worldly success, most people lose sight of being God’s image bearer and miss the opportunity to fulfil the greatness God has set us apart for (Jer 1:5).
The dash on the tombstone aptly represents our short life on Earth. We cannot control the two dates on each side of the dash, but we can decide how we want to live out the dash.
For me, I have decided to put my aspirations into actions and let the seeds of greatness God put in me to sprout, grow and produce good fruit.
What about you? How are you going to live out your dash?
Reflect and Respond:
- What does greatness mean to you? How is this similar or different to God’s definition of greatness?
- What actions will you take today to live out a life of greatness?
Read with your child:
When you think of a great person, who comes to mind? Your parents? Your teachers? A Marvel hero? What is it about this person that makes him or her great? Is it his or her physical appearance, skills and talents, or the life he or she is leading?
Do you know you can be a great person and lead a great life too? Yes, you are a great person! Psalms 139:14 says that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Genesis 1:26 confirms that you are made in God’s image and God breathed His spirit into you when He created you (Genesis 2:7). You are the bearer of God’s greatness! Isn’t that amazing?
Would you choose to lead your life bearing God’s goodness and let the seeds of greatness God put in you sprout and bear good fruit?
