Searching For SignificanceSample

The Unexpected — Part One

Through God’s Eyes

When you think of people who have made a difference, who comes to mind? Maybe you think of Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein or Bill Gates. Depending on your perception and lens of what is important, you’ll likely be able to think of a number of people you would define as “world changers,” or those whose lives have mattered.

We often view these people as “heroes,” whether we’d call them that or not. We admire and look up to them. They’re everything we want to be — important, noteworthy and significant. They’ve done something with their lives.

But God doesn’t view people the way we do, through a lens only of what they have or haven’t accomplished. He views them as they can be, through his might and power. He views them through his own reflection, as the living (although marred) mirror of him that we are. Because to God, we have unlimited potential — through him.

Think of some characters from the Bible who God chose to use, despite their flaws or weaknesses. People like Sarah, Moses, Gideon, Esther, David, Mary, Peter … the list could go on and on! (We’ll explore some of these peoples’ stories tomorrow.) 

All of these people were chosen by God for his glory, whether they felt equipped, adequate and sufficient or not. The point is, it’s not who you are that’s important in this life; it’s whose you are. And if you’re willing to step out and obey God, even when it seems scary, he’s going to help you find that purpose you so desperately crave. He created you with that desire as a way of pointing you back to him as the source of all that you need! God doesn’t choose us based on what we do or even who we are; he chooses us for his glory. 

Points to Ponder:

• What encouragement can you find in knowing that God doesn’t choose us based on what we do or who we are, but rather on what he can do through us? Does this help you better live out the life and purpose he has given you? 
• In what ways can you allow God to use you for his glory, despite your weaknesses or flaws? Remember, it’s not about what you are able to do. It’s what God is able to do through you.