Living a Life of Significance
Matthew 16:24-27 NLT
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you
must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you
try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my
sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world
but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? For the Son
of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all
people according to their deeds.”
“You and I live in an age when only a rare minority of individuals desire to
spend their lives in pursuit of objectives which are bigger than they are. In
our age, for most people, when they die it will be as though they never lived.”
– Russell Russenbach (Give Yourself Away)
Living a Life of Significance:
• Success asks, “How can I add value to myself?”
• Significance asks, “How can I add value to others?”
• If I pursue success my joy is the result of my success.
• If I pursue significance my joy is the result of OTHERS’ SUCCESS!
• Success can last a lifetime.
• Significance will last several lifetimes.
Evolution from Selfishness to Significance:
• What can others do for me?
• What can I do for myself?
• What can I do for others?
• What can I do with others for others?
Value Transformation:
- You begin to view your life as not your own.
Galatians 2:20 NKJ
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in
me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave Himself for me. - You begin to invest in things that have eternal value.
1 Corinthians 3:12-15 NLT
Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold,
silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal
what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s
work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward.
But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will
be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames. - You begin to value loving people more than loving yourself.
Philippians 2:3-4 NIV
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value
others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to
the interests of the others. - You shift from “How much can I acquire?” to “How much can I give away?”
“If a person’s scale of values is based solely on material wealth he will have
difficulty all his life. Do not pay much attention to fame – power – money.
Someday you will meet someone who cares for none of these things and
then you will know how poor you really are.” – Rudyard Kipling
Luke 12:13-21 NIV
Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the
inheritance with me.” Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an
arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard
against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of
possessions.” And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich
man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I
have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear
down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain.
And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take
life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very
night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have
prepared for yourself?’ This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for
themselves but is not rich toward God.”