Feel lost in all the chaos?
Feel like no one ever notices you?
Feel like everyone else is far more significant?
Does it seem everyone else has what you want?
Do you ever wonder how God will ever use someone like me?
I am just a mom, a wife, a teacher, an ordinary person. There is nothing significant about me. It can feel difficult to understand why God would use someone like you or me to bring Him glory. Over and over again in the Bible we see those who are considered a no one, Noah or David as a shepherd, do great things for God.
But even with these examples, they can still feel out of touch to our own lives.
Recently I had the privilege to lead my women’s eGroup (small group) through Rachel Risner’s, Significant: Six Ordinary Women, One Extraordinary God. My eyes were opened to six women in the Bible who to the common eye seemed insignificant, but all are not only linked to Jesus Genealogy but made choices that would bring great significance.
The decisions we make today may seem small as the effect appears to not make any big changes in your own life now or even tomorrow. These decisions however long term are significant. Something as small as buying one less Venti Starbucks drink (guilty!) a week, one can save $303.16 in a year.
How many times do you give in or lay down your desires? Sometimes always saying “yes” to everyone else’s asks may seem like it isn’t that big of a deal. However over time, you feel weighed down, used, and less valuable than before.
We can often get in the “if only” mentality, feeling like we could make better decisions, be more significant to our spouse, children, employer, or even the social media world “if only” my house was bigger, my kids would listen, my employer recognized my contribution, I had more followers, etc. The problem with this cycle is discussed within the pages of Significant with the discussion of Leah.
The week we discussed Leah, I had written in my study how I was feeling “unseen” in the day to day things of running the house. An entire list of all the things I do on a weekly/daily basis that goes unnoticed.
A full on pity party was written in this section of my book study.
The same day, I get a phone call from my husband who was with our oldest son at soccer. He proceeded to tell me thank you for all the things I had listed, all the things that are a part of my role as mom, wife, and teacher. I felt validated. Then that week, as our group discussed Leah, I spoke of how you can feel unseen on social media. How in a world full of “likes” and “shares” it is still the reality of not being “fully seen.” As I wrapped up the meeting, the doorbell rang for the fifth time (why can’t anyone else answer the door in this house?!) I irritatedly opened the door to surely find someone for one of my kids, like always, there was a delivery to me from Edible Arrangements. Surprised, as it wasn’t a holiday or anniversary of any sorts, it was from my good friend from Michigan, Tina. She simply wanted me to know she “sees me.” I had not shared this with anyone other than my eGroup just moments before and yet God was using her to work in my heart.
When Rachel graciously met with my eGroup over Zoom to wrap up this study I asked her how she would encourage us to continue to find our significance even in our day to day. She spoke of the importance to stay in step with Christ and fight the voices of culture or even our own mindset. She reminded us that all other things are empty and our significance won’t necessarily be “flashy.”
Flashy is never the synonym for significance.
This is just it, we believe that in order to feel significant we have to be recognized, flashy, or famous. In each of these six women discussed in the book study, none of them were flashy or recognized for their choices. I think about Jesus in Luke 8:40-56. He was swarmed by people and yet he took the time to travel to see a girl who had died while her father was seeking Jesus. When they arrived at the house and everyone was weeping he told them she was just asleep but they laughed at Jesus. Next, behind closed doors, Jesus performed a miracle and raised the girl from the dead. But look what he says next in verse 56:
56 Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.
Jesus wanted no recognition for what he had done. This wasn’t the only time he made this statement, but it was used 22 other times.
Are you willing to have significance without the recognition?
To be used by God in a great way without any recognition may seem crazy or perhaps impossible. How does one raise money without promoting their organization? How does one share their book, without talking about it? As my friend recently shared with me, how does one find donors without having a big fundraiser dinner? Just has He did for her, He will do for you. If you take the step in obedience, He will provide.
Whether God calls you to make simple changes without a “right now” difference or make huge steps to impact larger circles, He may be asking you to do it behind closed doors. If that is the case, are you really ready for it?
Get in His word and begin the conversation. I highly recommend doing Rachel Risner’s book study to help with this!
You can find Rachel Risner’s, Significant: Six Ordinary Women, One Extraordinary God.on Amazon.
