“For Thou didst form my inward parts, Thou didst knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise Thee, for Thou art fearful and wonderful. Wonderful are Thy works! Thou knowest me right well; my frame was not hidden from Thee, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth. Thy eyes beheld my unformed substance; in Thy book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

Today we want to talk about the significance that God has given to our lives and the important place He has given to each one of us. With that thought in mind, I thought it might be helpful for us to take a quiz. So, sharpen your mental pencils and see how you do.

1. Who taught Martin Luther his theology and inspired his translation of the New Testament?
2. Who was Nerses Shahnorhalie’s music teacher?
3. Who visited Dwight L. Moody at a shoe store and spoke to him about Christ?
4. Who was the wife of the great preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon?
5. Who was the elderly woman who prayed faithfully for Billy Graham for over twenty years?
6. Who taught Mesrob Mashdotzs how to write?
7. Who refreshed the Apostle Paul in that Roman dungeon as he wrote his last letter to Timothy?
8. Who were the parents of the godly and gifted prophet Daniel?
9. Who helped Charles Wesley get underway as a composer of hymns?

There are times of our lives when we experience feelings of self-doubt or insecurity. Are we really people of significance, value, and purpose? 100 years from now will it really make a difference that we were here? Certainly there are enough voices telling us that we really are not all that important.

Jim Elliott, the martyred messenger of the gospel to the Aucas, once called missionaries “a bunch of nobodies trying to exalt Somebody.” In the plan of God nobody is unnecessary. Unseen is not un-needed. Where ever God has placed you and however He has uniquely created you, you are exactly what He desires you to be.

This morning we want to consider the truth that God reveals to us of our tremendous worth, uniqueness, significance, and purpose. In Psalm 139 David writes of these and there are two truths I want to highlight.

1. YOU ARE SOMEBODY

Consider what David says, “You (God) made all the delicate, inner parts of my body, and knit them together in my mother’s womb. You are the one who put me together...”

In the womb, God formed us - unique - known to God even before birth. Think about this for one moment. Your face and features, your voice, your style, your background, your characteristics and peculiarities, your abilities, your smile, your walk, your viewpoint.... everything about you is unique - everything about you is found in only one individual since the creation - you. God wanted you to be you. He designed you to be the unique person you are.

Say this to yourself, “I am somebody - God made me who I am.” - say to person next to you, “You are somebody.”

The second truth is this:

2. YOU MAKE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THIS WORLD

David says this. (v.16) “You (God) saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your Book!”

The Apostle Paul puts this truth in a slightly different way, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

God is personally involved in the very days and details of your life. And, we have been created and prepared for His tremendous purpose for our lives. As Christians we can know the tremendous significance God has given to our lives.

Say this to yourself, “I make a difference.” Say to the person next to you, “You make a difference.”

It is very easy to know these two truths and still feel insignificant - a person without value and purpose. So many people I talk with - who intellectually know that they are somebody and that they have purpose - still have times of self-doubt - let’s be honest, we all do. I would like to suggest on Biblical thought of application to help us move from the intellectual to the practical.

THE WAY TO KNOW GOD’S SIGNIFICANCE FOR YOUR LIFE IS TO DO WHAT GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO DO - AND KEEP ON DOING IT UNTIL GOD TELLS YOU TO STOP.

Chuck Swindol, in his book, “Growing Strong In The Seasons Of Life” shares this parable.

Once upon a time, the animals decided they should do something meaningful to meet the problems of the new world. So they organized a school.

They adopted an activity curriculum of running, climbing, swimming and flying. To make it easier to administer the curriculum, all the animals took all the subjects.

The duck was excellent in swimming; in fact, better than his instructor. But he made only passing grades in flying, and was very poor in running. Since he was slow in running, he had to drop swimming and stay after school to practice running. This caused his web feet to be badly worn, so that he was only average in swimming. But average was quite acceptable, so nobody worried about that - except the duck.

The rabbit started at the top of his class in running, but developed a nervous twitch in his leg muscles because of so much make-up work in swimming.

The squirrel was excellent in climbing, but he encountered constant frustration in flying class because his teacher made him start from the ground instead of from the treetop down. He developed “charlie horses” from overexertion, and so only got a C in climbing and a D in running.

The eagle was a problem child and was severely disciplined for being a non-conformist. In climbing classes he beat all the others to the top of the tree, but insisted on using his own way to get there.

The obvious moral of the story is a simple one- each creature has its own set of capabilities in which it will naturally excel - unless it is expected or forced to fill a mold that doesn’t fit. When that happens, frustration, discouragement, and even guilt bring overall mediocrity or complete defeat - they simply give up.

A duck is a duck - and only a duck. It is built to swim, not to run or fly and certainly not to climb. Eagles are beautiful creatures in the air but not in a foot race. The rabbit will win every time unless, of course, the eagle gets hungry.

What is true of creatures in the forest is true of us as well. If God made you a duck - be a duck! Be glad you’re a duck. Swim like mad and don’t get discouraged because you can’t run like a rabbit. Don’t doubt your abilities just because you wobble when you run and flap instead of fly.

Revel in the fact that you are a duck and not something else. Your loving creator has made you - unique you - to be a duck. God has ordained you with a significant plan, purpose, and opportunities for your life. He needs you to be a duck.

Too often we look around and wish we were like someone else. By comparison we fill ourselves with self-doubt. Too often we listen to the voices of criticism and not the voice of God. Well intentioned people who expect us to act like something we are not and God never intended us to be.

We can only make a significant difference in this world if we are doing what God has called us to do. To do the “good works” which we have been “created for in Christ Jesus.” Listen to any other voice - walking on any other path - will lead to discouragement and toward potential disaster.

A few years back, as I was entering full time ministry, my search for significance kept me listening to everyone else's ideas of what I should be doing. In parish ministry - or in any ministry or work setting - there are always people who will tell you what you should be doing. After about two years of listening to others - and not God - I found myself so stressed out that I was virtually unable to continue in ministry.

It was then that I began to realize that the one voice I should have been listening to was God’s. Somehow, in my rush to be effective in ministry, I had let other voices drown out His.

I will never be another Chuck Swindol or Billy Graham. But, I am who God is making me to be. And, I am learning to be okay with that. It is vitally important to learn who God has called you to be.

For me the process of discovery has led me to brothers and sisters in Christ who will tell me honestly about my strengths, weaknesses, and how they see God using me - or not using me. It involves study of the Bible, prayer, and action - serving God - trial and error - living in situations where the Word of God can be applied to real life situations.

I share this with you as someone who is in the process of discovering God’s unique role for my life. Find people who you can honestly talk to about yourself - do not neglect Christian fellowship, Bible study, prayer - times of getting close to God. And, find a place of service where you can see God working out His plan through you.

God encourages us - He has made us - He wants to use you significantly in this world - right where you are - at home, work, church - Be who God has called you to be until He tells you to stop.