The Search for Significance

Years ago, I studied and taught from Robert S. McGee's materials, Search for Significance. This excellent study describes how people generally fall into one of four categories based on false beliefs they have about their significance. The false beliefs are these:

1. Performance - I must meet certain standards to feel good about myself.
2. Approval - I must have the approval of certain others to feel good about myself.
3. Blame - Those who fail (including myself) are unworthy of love and deserve to be punished.
4. Shame - I am what I am. I cannot change. I am hopeless.

Do you see yourself in any of the four categories?

For purposes of this post, I'm not going into any further detail about these false beliefs. It's enough to say that they have derailed countless Christians who look for secular answers to the question of significance.

Does our significance really stem from what we do or who we know or whose approval we have? If so, we're in trouble. We can never do enough or please enough when the bar is constantly being reset and raised by fickle people.

So where do we find our significance? We find our significance in the fact that we were created in the image of God almighty Who loves us and sent His Son Jesus Christ to shepherd us on home to Heaven. For those who understand and embrace this fact, the search is over. Free from shame and blame and enjoying the approval of the only One who matters, we can busy ourselves with the work God has prepared in advance for us to do.

"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