Have you ever felt like you are ‘lesser than?’ Many, if not all of us have. I’ve noticed that people tie significance to recognition. If they are recognized for their efforts, they feel significant. If their efforts go unnoticed, their view of themselves wanes. People measure their self-worth based on how others view them, which isn’t bad if the outside influence is God.

Think of Seth in Genesis 4 & 5. He has no speaking parts and is mentioned only a few times in genealogies. Only a few things are known about him: he was made in the image of Adam (who was made in the image of God) and that after He was born, people started to call on the name of the Lord. Adam states that Seth is a replacement for Abel and despite being a “#2” son, so to speak, it is the line of Seth that God uses to bring Jesus to the Earth. Think of how little is said about Seth, yet think about how significant he was in God’s plan.

Another person is Shamgar, son of Anath. He has a whole 3 verses about him in Judges 3:31 and Judges 5:6-7. Shamgar was a judge who killed 600 Philistines, people constantly warring against Israel, with an oxgoad (a farming tool used to guide oxen). We are also told that he saved Israel. Sure, Deborah, who was his replacement, will sing that during his time as judge, Israel had diminishing villagers and that travelers avoided Israel by keeping to the byways. However, he was significant for the part that God had for him.

Our culture constantly makes us feel that others around us define our worth, while simultaneously telling us that we are enough on our own. This is no way to measure our worth. God has created each one of us to work for His glory. When we take our lives, talents, and skills and dedicate them to Him, we play a significant role in furthering His Kingdom on earth. I challenge us this week to measure our significance and self-worth based on what God has said about us and the plan He put in place to restore us to Him through Jesus. Those in Christ are not ‘lesser than,’ we’ve been made more than conquerors.

“ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” -Romans 8:35-39