Searching For Significance – Part 1

But now, this is what the LORD says — he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. Isaiah 43:1

Do you remember the hit song by Dean Martin, ‘You’re Nobody till Somebody Loves You’? Such lyrics show up our deepest concern. We want our lives to matter, to mean something. Our deepest fear is of coming and going—and nobody knowing! We strive with our lack of education, our spot on the financial totem pole, and our looks. That’s why it bothers us when a friend forgets to call, or a teacher forgets our name, or a colleague takes credit for something we have done. We crave attention, drop the names of important people in conversations, and put flashy hubcaps on our cars. Fashion designers tell us, ‘You’ll be somebody if you wear our jeans.’ So we go out and spend half our wages on a pair of Italian jeans. But then—horror of horrors—the style changes from tight to baggy, faded to black, and we’re left wearing yesterday’s jeans, feeling like yesterday’s news. Simply stated: you can’t gain significance from the outside. It’s an inside job. Your sense of significance must come from someone you trust, someone you know will never change, someone who knows the worst about you and always believes the best. And there’s only one such source: God. So read on: ‘Thus says the Lord, who created you…who formed you…Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned…For I am the Lord your God…you [are] precious in My sight’ (vv. 1-4).

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me to not get trapped in trying to live up to what others are doing and to trust that You have given me all I need, that You believe in me and You are looking out for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen