How to Find True Significance
Significance is defined in the online dictionary as “the quality of being worthy of attention; importance.” There are several aspects of this that are worth discussing:
How do feelings of insignificance and significance make us act?
What is our true significance?
How can we grow in significance?
Let’s look at each of these.
Feelings of Insignificance vs. Significance
It can be interesting to sit in meetings and look at how people relate to one another. Is someone besides the leader trying to be in charge? Does someone need to be right all the time? Does someone get angry when corrected or shown they are wrong? Does someone need the last word? Can people freely share their ideas without being attacked or put down?
After literally thousands of technical work meetings, I have memories of all of the above events. To be honest, I have even played these roles myself. But finding freedom and significance in Christ has changed that for me. As some of you may know from Neil’s writings, the three main aspects we lost in the fall are acceptance, security, and significance. In Christ, these have been regained. But when we don’t understand or believe that we are already significant, our behavior is very similar to the non-believers around us. Think about the meeting interactions discussed above again.
True Significance
Our true significance is actually defined by God, not by how we feel or what we think of ourselves. If we are in Christ, we are already significant because we are:
“The salt of the earth and a light on a hill;
A branch attached to God’s vine – a channel of his life;
Chosen and appointed to bear fruit;
God’s holy temple;
A minister of reconciliation;
God’s workmanship.” (from the Who I am in Christ Bookmark)
Believing these truths about ourselves will actually change the way we act. When we believe the significance of who we are, we act more gracefully. We don’t need to be in charge. We don’t need to prove we are right all the time. We don’t need the last word. It changes us. I have seen this occur over a several month process in my own life. It really does make a difference!
Growing in Significance
Beyond our initial significance in Christ, we can also grow in significance. It may be difficult to understand this at first. How can I grow in something that I already have? But life offers us many examples of this. I can play the guitar, but if I practice more and play in a group, I will get much better. I already do gardening, but if I read about soils and plant type needs, I will grow better tomatoes. In the same way, we grow in significance as we grow in godliness.
We all know that we are a work in progress. But growth can occur as we apply what we already know. As it turns out, there is a Biblical pattern which Paul explains in Colossians 1:9-10. Paul prays that the Colossians will progress as they gain knowledge of God’s will, wisdom and understanding. They are then encouraged to enact what has been understood to bring about fruit. When the fruit is formed, God gives us knowledge (Colossians 1:10). In other words, to actually grow, we need to move away from an intellectually based Christianity, to one which includes the heart, soul, and actions*.
How does growth in godliness grow our significance? God trusts us with larger projects as we are faithful in the smaller ones. Do you remember the parable about the talents? It seems unfair that the one who invested and bore fruit should actually receive more. But that is exactly what Paul is saying. God invests in those who embrace and put to use the understanding they have. Yet, we need to remember how this actually works. It is not by personal effort alone. It is by letting God work and responding to His promptings. We are co-laborers, not just laborers in the kingdom of God.
Personally, I find that I need to relax into God’s care and let Him work through me in order to actually accomplish anything. Many of us are action people who like to “do things.” But God’s kingdom works differently. Growth and fruit appear as we abide, not as we strive. This is the picture Jesus gives us in John 15:5. We need to let God work and not just engage our physical, emotional, and mental capacities. As Jesus reminds us, “apart from me you can do nothing (nothing that will be significant in the end).”
*See Dr. Neil Anderson’s book Discipleship Counseling