“The Baggage of Insignificance”
January 20, 2008
Repeat after me: I am significant because God knows me, God is present with me, God created me and God guides me.
Me: I have always battled against insignificance. I have tried to live my whole life based on others approval or standard. I have tired to live up to expectations of me, desires of others, and not wanting to disappoint. What it ultimately leads to is depression, anxiety, and a lack of understanding that God has a plan and purpose for my life.
You: What standard are you trying to live up to? What is it that you measure your life against? Is it an older sibling who was the best at everything? Is it your parent’s approval only if you succeed? Is it questioning whether or not you are valuable?
Today, we are going to look at a passage of scripture that hopefully helps us to understand that we are significant for many different reasons.
“O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD.” Psalm 139:1-4
God knows us perfectly.
There is nothing about our lives that is hidden from God. He sees it all, he created it all and he understands it all.
“He who watches over you will not slumber.” Psalm 120:3b
The liberating truth: We can be totally honest with God.
“Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32
We are never dishonest with God, only ourselves. When we begin to get honest with God, we begin to see things as God sees them.
“You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.” Psalm 139:5-12
God is always present in our lives.
Although people may abandon us, either emotionally or physically, God never will.
The liberating truth: We can never hide from God.
This seems scary, but it also leads to the reality that:
God never hides from us.
“If you seek God, your God, you’ll be able to find him if you’re serious, looking for him with your whole heart and soul.” Deuteronomy 4:29 (The Message)
God never abandons us, no matter what we do.
“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God? They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!” Psalm 139:13-18
God is our creator.
There are all kinds of things that we don’t like about ourselves. We wish we were taller, thinner, smarter, etc. What we must always remember is that in the things that really matter for eternity, God created us perfectly.
We are a reflection of our creator.
“So God created man in his own image.” Genesis 1:27
At our heart level, we are created to represent God. We are made to be a reflection of him, much as our own children are reflections of ourselves.
And God is still at work in us. Through Jesus Christ, God is moving in our hearts and our souls to complete in us the spiritual creation he started.
“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6
The liberating truth: God is not finished with us.
“O God, if only you would destroy the wicked! Get out of my life, you murderers! They blaspheme you; your enemies misuse your name, O LORD, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you? Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you? Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your enemies are my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” Psalm 139:19-24
God knows every thought of the human soul.
That can make us cringe, right? But God also understands our pain, our hurt and our anger. He understands it because he knows us, is present with us, and created us.
The liberating truth: It is God’s job to change us.
Only God can deal with the human heart. There is nothing we can do on our own to change our heart and make it what it should be.
You: Are you struggling with insignificance? Have you tried measuring up to someone else’s standard? Well, the liberating truth is that you can’t and you never will. But, God considers you significant.
We: Repeat after me: I am significant because God knows me, God is present with me, God created me and God guides me.
