Possibly the greatest temptation we face in life is the lure of worldly honour and significance. The desire for significance has long been recognised as the most powerful of human drives. People will face death rather than dishonour and they will endure the most terrible ordeals to achieve a sense of significance. Status anxiety still abounds despite professions of egalitarianism. The origin of this propensity in the human heart arises from the identity vacuum created by our alienation from God. We are significant because we are children of God. There is no higher view of humanity than that of the Bible. Our identity should be derived from our relationship to God. But when we live without God, we can only attain a sense of identity by comparison with others. And so, rather than all humanity sharing an inalienable dignity, we now compete for a sense of significance. The only way a person can feel significant is by comparing their attributes and achievements with those of other people. So, life is experienced by most people as a ladder of significance. And the way of the world is a clamour for significance. Jesus, however, ushers us into a different way of living. In Christ we see our inherent and infinite value. So, the Christian life is not a life of upward momentum, but a path of humility in which we serve others that they might know their true value.
Ask God to teach you true humility.
Read James 2:1-13.
