Quest For Worth & Significance

The search and venture for significance is one that is common to all of humanity.  Mankind seems to always be longing to carve out a meaning and importance for life.  The growth of the social network and the explosion of the reality television celebrity reveals the deep desire within humanity for substance, note, and worth.

All this being true, there truly is this deep, soul-wrenching odyssey that is familiar to nearly every average human being that has and that will ever live (save Christ).  And there are countless diversions and worldly perspectives that offer various ways of dealing with the stress of seeking significance.  However, Scripture paints a picture about seeking significance that is unique, both in its content but also in its execution.  The essence of this discussion can be found in two of the early chapters of the Bible: Genesis 11 and 12.

Genesis 11 chronicles the the Tower of Babel.  Briefly summarized: people are congregated together in a great city with one language and goal for the purpose of creating a great name and culture for themselves, writing their own destiny and attempting to claim significance for themselves.  God's response was to confuse human language and to disperse mankind across the globe.  Clearly, God's ideas about the search for identity are different than humanity's.

In Genesis 12, God calls Abram.  God promises to make him into the father of nations, to bless him with storehouses of wealth, and to give him a life of supreme significance.  God provides Abram's importance and worth not because of Abram's work or effort but solely because of Abram's faith and faithfulness.

Similarly, our significance is not based on our exertion or the strength of our will.  Rather, the only significant act that an individual human can do, the most important element of any single human is not his/her accomplishments, his/her wealth, or even his/her relationships.  No.  Faith in the Lord is the most significant and only truly important thing a human can do.  Let us then seek to be significant by drawing close to God in faith!