Significance

I was doing my school work this week and had to answer a question about significance.

This got me thinking about what that really means, to have significance. Stop for a minute and think what that word means to you.

Here is the definition: importance, or consequence.

Take that word importance and ask yourself this question: do I feel important? Do you? Really?

If you are like me, then you probably don't feel important very often. Is importance a feeling?

I know that we all have this inner desire to feel important or have significance in our lives and most of the time we struggle to have that feeling. After reading and studying what significance is in my class, the answer became clear. Author Dr. Larry Crabb believes that significance is directly related to motivation. Where you are motivated is where you will find significance. So this got me thinking even more. If I am motivated to commit a crime, do I find significance in that crime? I believe that the answer is yes, I would find significance in that. I would feel important because so many people would be paying attention to me; the police, judges, inmates, lawyers, etc. But is that what I want to feel siginificant for?

Of course it is not why I want to feel significant!

I will tell you this, God can give you significance, even if it is in the small things. There are so many people out there in the world who give to good causes, serve in their communities and beleive that they are significant because of that. The truth, however, is that only in serving God will you ever find true significance.

Now I know that you may be reading this and are young or feel that you will never feel significant because of things you've done, or things you think you can't do. But let me tell you that if you are a child of God, YOU ARE SIGNIFICANT!

Look at Jeremiah, a guy who thought that he wasn't good enough to be a prophet, but God had something else to say about that:

"Ah, Sovereign Lord," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child. But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the Lord. Jeremiah 1:6-8

See Jeremiah said he didn't know how to speak because he was young, but God told him not to say those things to do what the Lord asked him to do and not be afraid of anyone because God will protect him.

But . . . it doesn't stop there, see for you and me, if we were told that, there is no way that we would just say, "oh, ok I see I should just do what you say Lord and you will rescue me, great let's go!" That's not what we would say. . . we would want to know more:

"Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "Now, I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant." Jeremiah 1:9-10

God said to Jeremiah that He would make Jeremiah significant, the He would give him significance. That if Jeremiah followed God wherever He told him to go, He would be significant.

Jeremiah's motivation was easy, God told him directly what to do to feel significant. For us it may not be as easy, but we must remember that our motivation will lead us to significance. If we are motivated to follow God wherever He takes us, we will be significant in God's eye's, and isn't that what really matters?

A Quick Welcome

I wanted to write and welcome any of you who will be reading my blog. Periodically I will post on here, trying for at least three times per week. Have fun, read and be encouraged in your walk.