Mark 10:42-44 (NIV) Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.

Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.”

Instead, He tells them how to be great and how to be first. There is a fleshly desire to be first and there is a godly desire to be first. God wants to fan the fires of the godly desire to be great in the Kingdom of God. A lot of the time we get confused when He tries to kill the fleshly desire to be great. We think He is trying get rid of all passion, determination, and fervor.

Most of the time, God has trouble with the person who lacks passion and concern. The truth is, there is a type of person who is passionate, driven, and can best be described as a go-getter. That is the type of person God wants to use for very special assignments. It can sometimes be difficult getting the go-getter into the Kingdom work.

They usually are pretty full of themselves. It takes the special work that only God can do to bring their heart into humility and still keep the passion they possess. Here is one of these passionate types.

Phil 3:12-14 (NIV) Not that I [Paul] have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

1 Cor 9:24 (NIV) Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.