Significance

Is being jealous ever a good thing? Doesn’t jealousy lead to envy? Isn’t it wrong to want what others have? When someone demonstrates jealousy in a relationship, don’t we see it as a bad thing? So why does God say that he is a jealous God?

Thursday was the last day Jesus would spend with his disciples before the cross. It was the day of Passover, the time when Israel remembered God’s faithfulness in delivering them from slavery in Egypt.

Contentment. Where does it come from? There is no one better to ask than the apostle Paul. He was familiar with life’s extremes with challenging circumstances.

Following the death of her infant daughter and husband, Sarah Winchester was crippled by grief. She tried to ease the heartache by building a house. Money was not an issue for the widow of the gun magnate, William Winchester. Each morning, she sat down with her architect to explain what she wanted done that day.

What causes us to sin? Is it our environment? Does it have to do with our family of origin? Is it in our genes? Let’s consider these questions as we look at our passage today.

“Am I good enough?” “Am I worthy?” “Does my life count?” “Will I be remembered?” All these questions, and many more like them, come from a heart desiring significance. It’s this drive for significance, or the fear of insignificance, that places us on a perilous path. Let’s consider the story of Absalom, who, I believe, struggled with the fear of insignificance.

Saving Private Ryan is an epic World War II war film that follows the search for James Ryan, the last surviving brother of four servicemen. The search is led by an army ranger captain named John Miller. Ryan is located, but on the return journey, Miller is gravely injured. As he dies, he whispers to Ryan, “Don’t waste this.” Ryan carried those words throughout his life. Years later, he broke down when he and his family visited Miller’s grave in Normandy. Through tears, he asked his wife, “Am I a good man?” He wanted his life to be significant, not wasted, for the man who had saved him.

What do you dream about? What fills your heart with passion? What gives you a sense of significance? What makes you say, “This is what I was put on earth to do!”? Today’s passage provides three focal points in fulfilling our God-given desires.

Jesus is our great Hope. That is the Christmas story in a nutshell. In Jesus, we have significance, security, acceptance, and forgiveness. In Jesus, we are empowered by his Spirit to show the world how the glory of the Lord shines through our lives.