The Cause for Significance
If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.
1 Corinthians 3:14
Significance is related to time and eternity. What is forgotten in time is of little significance, but what is remembered for eternity is of great significance. God has set eternity in our hearts and appointed a time for everything (see Ecclesiastes 3:1,11). If we want to increase our significance, then we should focus our energies on those activities that have lasting value. Paul writes, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8).
There are two misplaced priorities concerning the concept of significance. The first is the significance the world attaches to things that don’t stand the test of time and are irrelevant in eternity, such as sporting events, movies, and rock concerts. They may impact the world for a season of time, but they are soon lost to history. What countries participated in the World Cup of soccer 15 years ago? Who won the World Series in baseball 20 years ago? Who was the most valuable player in that game? Who cares?
The world tries to maintain the significance of athletic events by keeping records, but the general population soon forgets all about them. It was a significant achievement for humankind when Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, but now flights into space barely make the headlines. Many young people don’t even know who Neil Armstrong is!
The second misplaced priority is the sense of insignificance that Christians feel concerning their service for God. The world makes such a big deal about “significant” events that quickly fade from memory, while the daily events of one Christian or local church go unnoticed. However, what happens in heaven when one sinner repents? All the angels in heaven rejoice. Jesus said, “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent” (Luke 15:7). That person’s name is now written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and he or she will live in the presence of God forever.
Someone teaching a group of little children in church may feel insignificant compared to the stars of Hollywood or the celebrities in music and sports. Yet what could be more significant than teaching a young child the truth? What children choose to believe now will affect them for all eternity.
There is no need to search for significance, because there are no insignificant children of God. There are no insignificant Christian ministries—no matter how obscure—provided that they are doing God’s will. We are in the significant business of laying up for ourselves “treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:20). We will live significant lives if we build on the foundation that Christ has laid, but everything we build for ourselves in our own strength will be torn down.
As the British missionary Charles T. Studd once said, “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, only what is done for Christ will last. And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be, if the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.” The ability to postpone rewards is a sign of maturity and success.
a few questions to consider as you grown in your walk with Christ:
What does it mean that God has “set eternity in the human heart”?
Why is significance related to “what lasts”?
What are the two misplaced priorities concerning significance?
What types of activities make you feel the most significant?
How should you prioritize your activities (even in the temporal world, such as earning a degree as opposed to attending an entertainment venue) so that your energies are focused more toward events and accomplishments that last for years and for eternity?
Neil T. Anderson is the founder of Freedom in Christ Ministries. He began the ministry in 1989 and continues to spread the message of freedom to this day.