For centuries
the Church has moved forward, not on the shoulders of
"superstars," but rather through those who have borne the
scars of conflict and adversity and refused to quit. Break
free from old cycles and break through to your destiny.
The greatest challenge for many people who are seeking to
affect change in their generation is breaking free from the
“Survival Syndrome.” They spend their lives trapped in the
same cycle that the children of Israel experienced in the
wilderness. Because of their fear, they refused to enter the
land of promise. Intimidated by the giants, they were left
to wander, circling the same territory over and over.
It is these same cycles of defeat and discouragement that
keep men and women, who God has destined for greatness,
paralyzed and unfruitful. They find themselves always at the
same point, fighting the same battles, covering the same
territory. It is time to breakout.
Information is your avenue to transformation. The old adage,
“junk in, junk out,” is true. The information you feed into
your spirit will determine the destination of your life.
“Watch over your heart with all diligence, for out of it
flow the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23 NAS).
I have no problem hanging out with people that do not have
anything. I have been with people who did not have the
nicest clothes or the highest level of education. They did
not drive the best cars, live in upscale neighborhoods or
have offices in ivory towers. They worked normal jobs,
raised a family and faced the same situations of life that
everyone else encountered. Yet, they were alive, alert and
expectant.
What I do have a problem with is being with people who do
not want to be anything. These people will drain your energy
and creativity, rob you of your motivation and paralyze your
effectiveness. Their prison is not made of metal – it is
made of “mental.” In other words, they have wrong
information, causing what I call “stinking thinking” that
limits their impact.
A good friend once told me that most of our society is
living in one of three stages of life – survival, success or
significance – with the majority locked up in the first
stage. Indeed, most of the world’s population spends its
energy and time in the first stage trying to survive. Living
from paycheck to paycheck, from crisis to crisis, their life
is cyclical. They are caught in a web of Satan’s deception
believing “that’s just how life is.”
This group of believers are the ones who shout over the
abundant life that Jesus came to bring them on Sunday, yet
are depleted of spiritual vitality by Friday. Is it any
wonder why we are not affecting the world and changing the
course of history? Jesus never intended for us to live our
lives as a victims or in a cycle of survival. Listen to the
Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah: “I know the plans I have
for you declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for
calamity to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11
NAS).
We must believe God’s opinion of our lives and our
potential. We must stop living by everybody else’s opinions
and experiences. We must start believing His report. The
information we need to break free from that cycle is
revealed by the Holy Spirit. He will be our teacher. He will
walk us into freedom.
Once we experience a breakthrough in our thinking and
lifestyle we can move into the second stage – success. This
is where we have recognized that the plans the Lord has for
our lives are good and can produce fruit that is pleasing
and gratifying. Through obedience to God’s Word and
patterns, we can begin to enjoy the “good of the land.” We
will find that the favor of the Lord brings promotion and
honor. Yet, success is never a satisfying commodity. Even
after obtaining the things that are the marks of success in
most people’s eyes, there remains emptiness.
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I have met men who have reached the pinnacle of success in
their jobs and moved to the head of the line among their
peers. They have worked hard, planned well, gotten out of
debt, and put their children through college. At a time when
you would think they would feel a sense of joy over their
success in life, they go through a crisis and want to leave
their family, friends and surroundings. Why? Because success
was never meant to be a satisfier. Success is only a
motivator, a journey to a greater end. We were created to be
successful, but that is not the end.
Sadly, for many the message of becoming successful is the
end. When we make success the ultimate goal, then confusion,
frustration and the cycles of emptiness begin to reappear.
We were designed for significance. We were created to make a
difference. Our lives were uniquely designed to fill a place
that only we can fill. No one can do the job like you, no
one else can take your place. Each of us are important to
God’s plan and purposes.
In order for us to reach for the highest level of living, we
must understand what significance is and what significance
is not. Many times we confuse significance with prominence.
Because someone is visible, given distinguished recognition
or location, we believe they are more important than we are
and should be esteemed. Yet, God is never impressed with our
title, position or talent. His eyes are drawn to people who
function according to design.
“For even as the body is one and {yet} has many members, and
all the members of the body, though they are many, are one
body, so also is Christ...But now God has placed the
members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired”
(1 Corinthians 12:12,18 NAS). When we were placed in the
Body of Christ, we were fashioned for fruitfulness and
function. Though I may not be visible (prominent), I am
still necessary and important (significant).
When I was growing up I had a friend whose mother was in a
car accident. During the accident she suffered several
lacerations, one of which cut off part of her nose. It was
not a pleasant situation, and for many months it caused her
to retreat in seclusion and embarrassment. She had a college
education, a great job and respect among her peers, but she
was paralyzed with fear after her unfortunate accident and
dismembering.
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After months of depression, one day she realized, “I am
still a person of value. Nothing has been taken from me that
is necessary or important for me to fulfill my dreams.” She
got up the next morning, returned to work, and has enjoyed a
very successful career ever since then. Your nose may be
prominent on your body, but it is not essential to live or
accomplish goals in life. However, you do have vital organs,
such as your liver and spleen, that no one ever recognizes.
Yet, without their function you would die.
In the Body of Christ today I am moved by what I see and
hear. There is more emphasis put on prominence and
visibility than on function and necessity. Some people
believe that if it is not on Christian television or in
someone’s magazine, then it is not fruitful or necessary. I
challenge that thinking.
For centuries the Church has moved forward, not on the
shoulders of “superstars,” but rather through those who have
borne the scars of conflict and adversity and refused to
quit. They are God’s unknown soldiers – they understand that
what God has placed in their hands to do, no one else could
do. They are willing to work, enduring difficult situations
and even harsh persecution without even a moment of
recognition or position. They knew that the world may never
know their names, but the cause for which they were laboring
had important consequences, so they were faithful.
The Holy Spirit is challenging Christians in this hour to
realize we cannot live for ourselves. We must realize that
we were designed for significance. That means we cannot
settle for relief from the survival cycle only, nor can we
be content to just succeed. We must be determined to
declare, “My life will make a difference!”
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Much of the religious world has become intoxicated with
popularity and being “politically correct.” This is an
arrogance that has overcome many preachers who think, “If I
am well known and bringing in large offerings, then I am
important.” Sadly, much of what is being done today in the
American Church makes money and a lot of noise, but little
difference in the neighborhoods and cities in which we
reside.
Our significance will only be understood when we find our
identity in Christ. We never really understand who we are or
why we were created apart from Jesus Christ. The Apostle
Paul declared the truth of the ages to the philosophical
group of “high thinkers” living around Mars Hill, that it
is: “in Him we live...move...and have our being” (Acts
17:28).
The Son of God Himself was not commissioned into the
ministry without revealing His identity and being given
affirmation. “And after being baptized, Jesus went up
immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were
opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove,
{and} coming upon Him, and behold, a voice out of the
heavens, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased” (Matthew 3:16-17 NAS).
What had Jesus done up until that point in ministry? No
blind eyes had been opened, no dead person had been raised.
Yet, God declared, “I am well pleased.” We must realize that
we were designed by a Master Creator. His plans for us are
more than just to exist – to take up space on the earth or
take up space under the earth when we die. You were designed
for significance. The purpose for your life involves you
being an instrument in His hands to strategically impact our
world.
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