Significance

Let's talk about significance. Do you ever feel insignificant? Maybe you don't feel valued by someone you love, or you’re not valued in your job. Have you met those people whose self-worth seems to be tied to something in their lives? Maybe it's a job, a spouse, a role they play at church, or in the community. Are you one of these people? What about those men and women who HAVE to be in a relationship? They can't be single.

We've all been in one of these positions, right? I know I've moved in and out of situations like these. Maybe not the needing to be in a relationship, because I was single for a long time, but I wanted to be loved! ;)

When I was a kid I was never athletic. I hated P.E. It was torture, especially the tests we had to take every year. My cousins on the other hand were dancers, and cheerleaders. I remember that alone made me feel like such a loser. I was not a sloth. I played outside all the time, rode my bike, and roller-skated. I even took ice skating lessons. I still felt like I was not as fit, or capable physically than anyone else, and I hated that about myself. Once I went to a cheer camp of some kind with my cousin. I think it was just one day. I hated it, and I sucked. At the end of the day everyone had all these ribbons for their achievements, and I got some sort of participation ribbon. I once again felt like a loser. Now, this is not about how we should make all kids feel special. Kids need some disappointments in life, and my life would be great if that were the only disappointment I ever faced. What I’m saying is, my focus was messed up and I was putting my significance in whether, or not I could do something that someone else could do. We all have our strengths. Fast forward to now, and I’ve achieved being able to run non-stop for 40 minutes, or more. I didn’t’ even start running until I was in my late 30s, and I love running. This does not make me worthy of love, and it doesn’t make me significant. It is something that I do for myself, to be strong, healthy, and just to feel good.

I've been pondering significance, praying through it, reading, and declaring scripture over myself about where my worth lies. It is so easy to wrap our self-esteem up in worldly things. By that I mean things other than Christ. These can be good things, and bad things. It doesn't matter. When we allow this to happen we turn a good gift into something bad.

Here is an example. Since I got married I have found myself slipping ever so slightly into a place where my significance is wrapped up in what my husband thinks of me. I've been this girl before and so I'm able to recognize the thought process. This is what I mean by taking a good gift and making it something bad. The danger in this is that I become less important in my own eyes, and the relationship suffers, because it becomes one sided. Only his needs are important and met. Now this is with no fault on his part. It's all in my head. It's a whole head game! He sees me as wonderful, beautiful, kind, and the woman he loves. The other danger is that I miss out on this wonderful gift that was always meant for my life. A gift that was not meant to validate me, but to bless me. This can happen in friendships, other familial relationships, or with material objects. I’ve experienced these feelings before toward my Mother. If we are placing our value in what someone else says, we are placing our significance in the wrong place.

As I started to see that I was losing myself in my husband’s eyes, I realized that the only way I could truly honor, myself, my husband, and this GIFT from God, is to remind myself who I am in Christ. So, I decided to dig into the Word. I looked for verses on significance. There are tons of verses on who we are in Christ. That is where our significance lies. Here are a couple of verses that I have found and claimed.

1. I am a child of God. “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12

2. I am Accepted. “Accept one another just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” Roman 15:7

Writing down these scriptures, and highlighting what it says about us is a great tool. Do it, because that is where your significance lies, In Christ alone.

Right now I’m studying the book of Ephesians, and it is a great book to study on our significance in Christ. It is filled with encouragement, love, and declarations of who we are in Christ Jesus. I’m only on Chapter 2. I have been using the Inductive Bible Study method. If you have ever done a Kay Arthur study, she loves this method. J It is a great tool, and will open your eyes to what the scripture is saying. Here is some information on this style of study from precept.org: Inductive Bible Study Overview.

This is basically how it is done:

I. Pray for God to open your eyes to what He wants to teach you.

II. Read the entire book you plan to study.

III. Focus on a section at a time. Most study Bibles have headers on sections, but you can go chapter by chapter too.

IV. Read that section and write down the following information:

1. Observation: What is in the passage?

a. Repeated Words

b. Lists

c. Characters

d. Comparisons

e. Promises

f. Commands

g. Contrasts

h. Cause and Effect

i. Questions

2. Interpretation: Timeless truths, or principles we could apply to life then, and now. You can probably find two, or three.

3. Application: How do these truths apply to my life today?

V. Now ask these questions: Is there an area of my life that does not align with God’s Word? Is there an example for me to follow? Is there a sin to avoid? Is there a condition to meet, or a command to obey?

VI. Memory verse: Is there a verse that stands out to me, that I think I should memorize?

I know that this seems like a lot of work, but it is worth the time and effort. I hope that this is a tool that you can, and will use.

Remember, you are God’s workmanship. Your significance lies in HIM. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2: 10.

XO,