Bottom line up front (BLUF): Do you wish to be great? The path may differ from what you envision.

Currently I’m reading a handful of books on significance. Why? Because I’m seeing a trend on the mission field, namely, that many people (younger people, esp.) experience feelings of insignificance. They feel they don’t matter—at work, at play, at home, at church, etc. Their reactions are often to create false images of themselves as important, influential, brave, and sought after. Many of these folks are being disingenuous and they know it. So, how does one speak wisely to such an issue?

The Folly of Secularism: The secular worldview has no transcendent unchanging standard by which to speak to this, of course. Since God is removed in secular humanism, all folks are left with is preferences. If someone experiences feelings of insignificance, too bad. “Suck it up, Buttercup!” talking points is what you can expect. Why? Because there is no objective, unchanging, righteous standard (God) by which to evaluate wisdom from folly in the religion of secular humanism.

Greatness God’s Way: Much of Jesus’s teaching in Matthew’s gospel is consumed with Jesus excoriating the scribes and Pharisees. Why? Well, they should have been the wise, humble, godly teachers and shepherds. Instead, they were foolish, cocky, defensive, ungodly theological bureaucrats who led themselves and their followers into destruction (see Matthew 23, e.g.). But will we listen to what Christ taught all who would be significant and even aspire to greatness: “The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Mt 23:11-12, ESV).

Encouragement/takeaway: Did we catch it? “The greatest among you shall be your servant.” In a world where people are longing to matter, the secular reflex is to say, “Well, you do you,” whatever that’s supposed to mean. It’s a sort of bubblegum psychological band-aid devoid of substance. But the biblical worldview completely upends that and says to us: The reason you long to matter is because you do matter to God and to fellow pilgrims but human sin has alienated us from our Creator and Redeemer. In short, the bad news is that you and I are sinners, east of Eden, rebels against the Holy. But Christ is the rescuing, redeeming, atoning Savior for all who come to him in repentance and faith. And the way to experience your significance is to know you’re created in the image of almighty God who was, and is, and is to come. He knows the very hairs on your head and the very innermost recesses of your mind and soul. Use your best labors to honor him and those he puts in your path by serving him and others. Why? Because God delights in exalting the humble and humbling the proud.