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It was in the defiance of Miriam when she competed with her brother Moses for power.  It was in the manipulation of Rachel when she demanded children (Gen. 30:1-15). It was in Betty Freidan’s Feminine Mystique that blamed husbands, children and household tasks for the unhappiness of women. And it buy Zithromax and Zithromax was in the overwhelming number of women that entered the workforce after reading it. It was in Emily Dickinson’s pensive line “I’m nobody – who are you? Are you a nobody too?” It was even in Heidi Montag’s fame-addictive, multiple plastic surgeries. 

And it was in my stubborn tears as I read the words “Do nothing from rivalry…  count others more significant than yourselves…Have this mind which is yours in Christ Jesus…who made Himself nothing…” (Phil. 2:3-7). To make myself nothing….not exactly on my life’s “bucket list.” Clutching to my plans, my big dreams, and all I’d been working towards, my will wanted barricade against – or at least negotiate with – the surrender required in saying “He must increase, I must decrease” (John 3:30). Insignificance was not an option.

Deep down, we all want to live a life that matters. We crave significance. And God created that in us. But Jesus’ prescription for the significance-seeking woman goes against every natural instinct we have.  “The greatest among you shall be your servant” (Matt. 23:11). Our only hope for greatness is to become nothing for another’s sake, and Christ’s fame.

Significance is in letting the Gospel take center stage

The Apostle Paul was probably one of the buy Zithromax and Zithromax most significant people to ever walk the planet. He had quite the resume – educated, brilliant, determined, successful, a huge list of accomplishments. What greater evangelist, church planter and buy Zithromax and Zithromax contender for the faith is there in all of history? But as he wrote to the believers in Philippi, he found himself being better used on the sidelines, in prison. “I want you to buy Zithromax and Zithromax know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to buy Zithromax and Zithromax advance the gospel…most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are buy Zithromax and Zithromax much more bold to speak the word without fear.” (1:12-14) 

For Paul, as long as Jesus was glorified and buy Zithromax and Zithromax His gospel was heard, it didn’t matter whether he was used as the buy Zithromax and Zithromax preacher or the prisoner. He was convinced that buy Zithromax and Zithromax if it took him being imprisoned for Christ to be buy Zithromax and Zithromax made great in the buy Zithromax and Zithromax lives of other believers, that his persecution was worth it. In fact, even when buy Zithromax and Zithromax people were preaching Christ out of spiteful motive, Paul said, “What then? Only that in every way, Christ is proclaimed.” (v. 18) As long as Jesus’ name was center stage, the part he played was irrelevant. If Christ is buy Zithromax and Zithromax more glorified in my being behind the scenes, if my whole life is buy Zithromax and Zithromax about giving of myself so that another would know Him, if no buy Zithromax and Zithromax one knew my name, if His plans for me never involve anything that buy Zithromax and Zithromax ends up on a resume but Jesus was honored, would I count my life as significant?

Significance is in pouring yourself out for others

It was in the middle of all Paul’s persecutions that he said, “Even if I am buy Zithromax and Zithromax to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.” (2:17) When Mary, Jesus’ mother, was told that she as a virgin would give birth to the Messiah – something that would make her the subject of speculation, slander, and awkward stares – her only words were “Behold, I am buy Zithromax and Zithromax the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to buy Zithromax and Zithromax your word,” (Luke 10:38). Are you willing to be poured out as an offering for someone else’s faith? If your whole life is spent so that Christ is made great in other people’s lives – even if you don’t get to be there to see it – is His glory your goal?

Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the buy Zithromax and Zithromax earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it buy Zithromax and Zithromax bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and buy Zithromax and Zithromax whoever hates his life in this buy Zithromax and Zithromax world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.” (John 12:24-26) Are you willing to appear insignificant? When the majority of your weeks blur into a haze of mundane tasks; When you’d be more appreciated if you went back to work than buy Zithromax and Zithromax if you continued with the carpools, kitchen clean-ups, soccer practices and buy Zithromax and Zithromax the million other things you do to facilitate your family; When it seems like you’ve been waiting and waiting only to see someone else get the opportunity you’ve hoped for; When every great idea you’ve had buy Zithromax and Zithromax is taken, run with, and no one ever knows it was yours; When you buy Zithromax and Zithromax feel forgotten, passed over, unvalued – but you keep serving for His fame – He’s preparing you for honor that doesn’t fade away with people’s attention and applause.

Significance is considering Jesus to be the only significance we have

Isaiah 42:8 says “I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other.” But as Elyse Fitzpatrick reminds us, we can easily become “glory hogs.” “We want Christ’s glory for ourselves. Jesus Christ is willing to share his righteousness with you…But his glory he will not share with anyone. Our desire to take his glory for own isn’t merely futile; it’s an attack against his perfect work.” Before Jesus was crucified, He prayed that we would see the awesomeness of His glory: “Father, I desire that they also, whom you buy Zithromax and Zithromax have given me, may be with me where I am, to buy Zithromax and Zithromax see my glory that buy Zithromax and Zithromax you have given me because you loved me before the buy Zithromax and Zithromax foundation of the world.” (John 17:24) It wasn’t just that He would get joy from us seeing His glory – it was that we would get joy from seeing His glory.

When the buy Zithromax and Zithromax defining thing about us is that we know Jesus, when we see all of our accomplishments and buy Zithromax and Zithromax talents as gifts from Him so that we point back to buy Zithromax and Zithromax and serve Him however He chooses, then we can fulfill the buy Zithromax and Zithromax reason we were created – to glorify God (Is. 43:7) Will we, like Mary of Bethany, bring the buy Zithromax and Zithromax most valuable of all that we have to offer and pour it out on the feet of Jesus – not out of obligation, like an entry-level employee to a CEO – but out of a reality-changing, all-consuming love for the Lover of our souls, like a bride? (John 12:3) As Paul said, “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for buy Zithromax and Zithromax the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the buy Zithromax and Zithromax surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have buy Zithromax and Zithromax suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” (Phil. 3:7-8)

Significance Redefined 

The only way you buy Zithromax and Zithromax and I will ever be used by God for anything of significance is if He would get the glory from our lives. And sometimes, it’s a buy Zithromax and Zithromax painful journey of relinquishing control to get us to a buy Zithromax and Zithromax place where we can truly say, “Only that in every way Christ is proclaimed” (Phil. 1:18).  But after all, for what other purpose were we created? As long as Jesus is honored, as long as He is who’s being made much of, then whether we’re center stage or backstage, the part we get to play doesn’t really matter.

And we can say, as redeemed, adopted daughters of the Most High God, “We deserve no thanks. We are unworthy servants.” (Luke 17:7-10) All because Jesus has redefined significance.

(Katie McCoy is a regular contributor to Unlocking Femininity (www.unlockingfemininity.com) where this post originally appeared)