Facing Down Our Fears: Insignificant Life
Scripture Romans 8:15,16
Back in the days of the Roman Empire during a circus in the Coliseum, Soldiers threw a Christian to a hungry lion. As the spectators cheered, the wild beast pounced. However, the Christian quickly whispered something in the lion's ear and the beast backed away in terror. After this happened several times, the emperor sent a centurion to find out what magic spell could make a ferocious lion cower in fear. A few minutes later the guard returned and reported what the Christian said in the Lion's ear. "After dinner you'll be required to say a few words.'"
We can all identify with this amusing story. However, all of us want to live meaningful, adept, lives. I always impressed when occupying a window seat on a plane at how small everything looks. People look as ants and cars seem like matchbook toys. Everything looks so insignificant.
Let me remind that smallness in size is not equated with significance. What is significance to God?
We are significant because we are created by God.
(Gen 2: 7) "The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." God created all of us as living souls. This means that he also cares for us and regards us as unique creations.
When Jesus looked over the crowds he saw people in desperate need. He saw them as harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. However, Jesus didn't ignore the individual in a crowd. He understood the importance of each person. Every human being matters to God. They should also matter to us.
(Matt. 9:35-38)Jesus knew the disciples would face disappointments, ridicule, and persecution in the world. This might cause them to feel insignificant or inferior. However, he cautioned them against thinking that they were unimportant to God.
(Matt. 10:29-32) It's easy to measure our significance by the opinion of others. Our value to God does not depend on what other people think of us. Jesus assures us that because we are valuable to God he will take care of us. (1 Cor. 10:12) God created us as living souls. Therefore, we are unique creatures.We are significant because we are the Crown of God's Creation.
In
Psalm 139, David reflected upon his value and significance in the sight of God. "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I will praise because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! (Psalm 139:13-16)Certainly, we must understand how sinful we are because of the fall. Even though we are damaged by sin we are still unique creations of God. God created us in His image and likeness. This means that there are parts of our being that are like God. God is a Trinity, so are we. God has certain components of His personality, as we do. He has intellect, emotion and will.
That means that as God's creation we must reflect that image in those three areas. The problem is that sin marred our intellects, emotions and wills. To reflect that image we need to be born again. God must redeem those parts of us so that we can reflect the image of God. Appreciation for our significance is not sinful unless we assume that we made ourselves and should take credit for whatever is good in us.
This was Nebuchadnezzar's sin in Babylon. "Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty? The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, "This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you.
(Daniel 4: 29-31)According to the creation account in
Genesis 1:28, God saved the best of His creation until last. "God blessed them and said to them, be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground. The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." (Gen. 2: 15) Does this sound like the man and woman God created was insignificant?David said, "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.
(Psalm 8 3-8) David is utterly amazed. Though man is so small compared to the universe, God has given each of us a noteworthy place in it. Size does not equal significance.Everything in our culture teaches us to worship at the altar of greatness. We tend to buy into the lie that says, If you are popular, wealthy, and good-looking or beautiful, talented, well mannered, or well educated, muscular, then you are significant.
The Bible reminds us that we are significant because we are the creation of God and creations of the highest order. David said, that God made us a little lower than the angels and crowned us with glory and honor. He made us ruler over His creation. If we understand this no one can make us feel unimportant or inferior. Everyone who reads this is the unique crown of God's creation.
We can live without the fear of man.
In
Matthew 10 Jesus said, "So, don't be afraid." Sometimes people can be quite intimidating. Many of us have known well meaning people who have done a great deal of damage trying to impose on us and others their own narrow interpretations of what God expects of us. In many cases we value their opinions. However, in this context Jesus cautions His followers not to be afraid. Of those who can kill the body. "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid (stand in awe) of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." The Bible says, Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe. (Prov. 29: 25) For an example of this see Gal. 2:12,13. Here was a case of discrimination against the Gentile believers all because of fear of man. Psalm 56: 11 "In God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"We can live Without the Fear of feeling Insignificant. We can do this if we can see two spiritual disciplines. These disciplines will seem simplistic.
(Rom. 8:15,16) Last week we saw the importance of memorizing scripture or hiding it in our hearts. This is the first of our five disciplines. The memory verse for today is: "For you did not receive a spirit (mental disposition) that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit or (superhuman), the Holy Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Believers are so important that God sent His Holy Spirit of live in us.Those of us who are parents know the incredible value we place on our children. When they are fearful we want to help them. Like wise, we are children of our heavenly Father. He wants to help us. God has given us the Holy Spirit who reminds us of the unique place in his heart for each of us.
"Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory
. (Romans 8:17,18; 1 John 3: 2,3)Scriptures like these should be written on the tablets of our hearts. We can return to them whenever someone makes us feel insignificant or inferior.
The second discipline is The Facing Down Your Fears Prayer. Friends do not belittle the importance of prayer in facing down our fears. See bulletin insert or your journal: When you suffer from the fear of insignificance or inferiority look at the Bible. Memorize it, personalize it and believe that you are important to God. You may not be important to other people. However, it is God's view of you that is accurate. Take God at His Word.
God affirms us, let us do the same.
A young man must not compare himself with others or measure his success by theirs. It makes no difference how other men succeed. Their success is theirs; not yours. It matters nothing to me that Edison can invent the electric light and I can't; that Kipling can write a "Recessional" and I can't; that you can plead the law and I can't. You can do one thing; I try to do another. But success is for both of us just so far as we do well what we can do. Every man is himself, and it is in proportion as he gets out of himself the power there is within him that he succeeds--succeeds in doing the thing he is best fitted to do.
Edward William Bok in Batsell Baxter, Speaking For the Master (Baker, 1954), p. 68.
"Let us not bankrupt our todays by paying interest on the regrets of yesterday and borrowing in advance the troubles of tomorrow."
(Ralph W. Sockman, radio sermon, NBC, 12 January 1958.)Phil 4:6-7; 1 Pet 5:7