What does it take to live a truly great life?  Are there any solid prerequisites that ensure our names be written in God's Hall of Fame?

I believe that sometimes we have deluded ourselves into thinking that in order for our lives to be placed in God's column under the heading of "great," we are required to first achieve a bit of momentary fame or recognition. In reality, nothing could be farther from the truth.

I have created a "Great List" for myself that serves as a reminder on the gray and insecure days of life what it takes to live a life that heaven applauds. If you, too, long to live an extraordinary life that ensures the recognition of heaven, I hope that my "Great List" will set you on that humble course that leads to true greatness.

1) Be a Great Forgiver:  Christianity is decidedly unique from all other religions simply because we serve a God who has forgiven us. Our God, the only true and living God, sent His only Son to the world so that we could experience that glory of forgiveness. As His children today, we are called to carry on the family business, which is a call to forgiving everyone all the time.

2) Be a Great Worshipper: The people of God are great because they walk through the fire, through storms and through valleys with a song in their hearts. We are a people who sing! It's what we do best! We praise while others are panicking and we make a joyful melody in our hearts when others are living a life of frustration and distress.

3) Be a Humble Servant: Jesus came to serve and that, my friend, is one of the identifying attributes that made Him the greatest man of all time. He didn't come to be served, but He came to serve others. If you want to live like Jesus lived on planet Earth, then you will serve others with a cheerful heart. This might include serving in the church nursery, sending a young person on a mission trip or visiting a nursing home.

4) Be Kind: One of my personal goals in life is not to write the best-selling books for an entire generation (although that would be wonderful) or to teach the Word of God in arenas and coliseums (although I would love to do that as well), but it is to be the kindest woman alive at my moment in history. Kind people always live a great story. It's easy to be kind to those who are kind to us, but it is even a greater call to be kind to those who have been cruel and uncaring.

5) Be a Great Giver: I agree with one of my heroes of the faith, Robert LeTourneau, who said, "I can never out-give God, but I am surely going to try!" I long for every cell of selfish living to be eliminated from my body. I long to splash in the delight of generosity every day of my life. I believe that God's Hall of Fame is filled with men and women from every generation who made it their uncompromising destiny to give and to give and to give again.

So, you see, you don't need your picture to grace the cover of a magazine or to have millions of dollars in your banking account in order to be deserving of the title "great". Perhaps all that you really need to do to live a great life is to forgive, to worship, to serve, to be kind and to give.

Carol McLeod is an author and popular speaker at women's conferences and retreats, where she teaches the Word of God with great joy and enthusiasm. Carol encourages and empowers women with passionate and practical biblical messages mixed with her own special brand of hope and humor. She has written eight books, including The Rooms of a Woman's Heart, Defiant Joy!, Holy Estrogen!, No More Ordinary, Refined, Joy For All Seasons, Let There Be Joy! and Pass the Joy, Please! which releases on February 1, 2018.Her teaching DVD, The Rooms of a Woman's Heart, won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award for excellence in religious programming. You can also listen to Carol's "Jolt of Joy" program daily on the Charisma Podcast Network. Connect with Carol or inquire about her speaking to your group at justjoyministries.com.

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