The greatness that dwells within you is far more powerful than the greatness generated by you

I attended a men's conference this past weekend. At the conference, we had the pleasure of receiving a message from Bishop T.D. Jakes. What an powerful, dynamic communicator of God's word! If you have not had the privilege of hearing him speak, please do yourself a favor and listen to some of his stuff online!What amazed me the most about Bishop Jake's message, was the simplicity of it. He didn't preach some intricate, confusing message that required years of deep scriptural study to understand. His message was simple, powerful, and profound. In fact, he said something that was so simple that I almost didn't process it.  He looked at all of the men in that church and said, "You have greatness in you!"This is a very simple, scriptural principle that is so easy to overlook. If I am being honest with myself, I would have to say that I don't always carry myself like I have greatness in me. Do you? Sometimes, I carry myself more like I have weakness in me. I walk around like I have a spirit of timidity, fear, and doubt, rather than the spirit of power, love and a sound mind that God says I have (2 Timothy 1: 7).2 Corinthians 6: 19 says that we are temples of the Holy Spirit! Think about that for a second. The Spirit of the living God, who created the heavens and the earth, dwells inside of us! If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your savior, then the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead is at work in you! Yet, we walk around worried and afraid to step into what God has for us. We shy away from doing what God has called us to do, as if His Spirit inside of us isn't powerful enough to ensure that His plans will come to pass.Could it be that we are afraid because we change this simple principle from God's word ever so slightly? Could I propose that maybe we stand back in fear because we treat the greatness within us as if we have to be the source of that greatness, rather than simply the receptacle within which it dwells?The greatness that God has given us to glorify His name on this earth does not come from us, it simply dwells with us. If we come to a point where we are relying on our own greatness and our own power, we are limiting ourselves beyond measure. No matter how much natural ability and courage we have within us, it pales in comparison to the greatness and power of the Spirit of God who spoke the world into existence! Even the most capable and courageous man or woman to ever walk the face if this earth will eventually meet an adversary that he or she does not have the power to overcome. At that point, even the strongest men and women will shrink back in fear. However, the greatness of the Spirit of God overcame sin and death. It overcame the grave! It doesn't shrink back in fear of anything.So let's make it personal. What is that adversary in your life right now that you are shying away from? What has God called you to do that has you saying things like, "I just don't see how that can happen. It seems too impossible to even try. I know I don't have what it takes to see that through to the end."When we start saying things like that, we are viewing the world through the lens of our own greatness. God's greatness does not shy away from anything. There is literally no addiction too strong, no person too broken, and no situation too hopeless. His Spirit can create the heavens and the earth from nothing, make the lame walk, and raise the dead! There is no doubt that it can make you victorious in ANYTHING that He calls you to do. So let's stop using the limitations of our own greatness as an excuse to sit back in fear, and start letting the greatness that dwells within us give us the faith to push forward! Jesus replied, "What is impossible with man is possible with God" (Luke 18: 27)"I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 1: 19-20).