The Search for Significance

26 The Search For Significance
we turn to others who judge our worth by our
ability to meet their standards.
Because our performance and our ability to
please others so dominates our search for significance,
we have difficulty recognizing the distinction
between our real identity and the way we behave,
a realization crucial to understanding our
true worth. Our true worth is not based on our
behavior or the approval of others. It is based on
what God's Word says is true of us. Our behavior,
then, is a reflection of our beliefs about who we
are. Our behavior is consistent with what we
think to be true about ourselves (Proverbs 23:7). If
we base our worth solidly on the truths of God's
Word, our behavior will reflect His love, grace and
power. But if we base our worth on our abilities
or the fickle approval of others, our behavior will
reflect the insecurity, fear, and anger that comes
from that unstable base.
My dog, Whitey, fritters away time sleeping.
When he isn't sleeping, he's busy barking at
strangers and scratching at fleas. It is behavior
I've come to expect from my pet. But suppose you
and I decide to behave like my dog. Suppose we
started spending our time sleeping, crawling
around on our hands and knees, barking at
strangers and passing cars. Suddenly we begin
performing like my dog, but that behavior does
not make us dogs! The way we behave is only an
expression of the beliefs we hold about ourselves,
not an indication of our true worth. Therefore,
we cannot experience a permanent change in our
behavior without first changing what we believe
about ourselves.
This truth is evident in the case of Scott. Scott
grew up in a home without praise, being discouraged
by his parents whenever he attempted anything
new and challenging. After twenty years of
hearing, "You'll never be able to do anything,