Exploring the Meaning of Significance: A Journey Through Chapter One
The light goes on???
Review of the book “THE SEARCH FOR SIGNIFICANCE “
ROBERT McGee Chapter One
Chapter One:: Starts off with a story about a man that works to hard.
It is said that he had a way of controlling his wife and intimidating his children to keep them from being a bother to him.
He loved his family but he was driven by his Job and didn’t see how alone he really was. His family felt the same way.
But now the family is gone and he wept like a small child.
Reality had turned on the light in this mans dark world. And he realized that the worst part of his world was himself??
He just couldn’t believe he was so wrong for all these years.
WE can all relate to this story. We get busy and forget about the people around you.
If we are honest with ourselves, we don’t realize how destructive these things are until the light comes on.
I think if we all look inside we can find that we are all emotionally, spiritually, and relationally hurt by something but because we are unaware of the extent of our wounds, we don’t take any steps toward healing.
Because we lack objectivity we fail to see the reality of pain, hurt and anger in our lives.
The stories go on:
A girl who is the life of the party, but depressed inside because of no self worth
A man neglected by his father who see success as a goal to win his love
Or a mommy who could’n love, or an alcoholic Father plagued by guilt and anger.
Why do some of us lack objectivity ???
There’s are so many responses to this. We may protect our concept of them by blaming ourselves for there lack of love and we may deny that we have been hurt by there behaviors.
We also need loving and supportive parents and friends. We all develop elaborate defense mechanisms to block pain and gain significance.
We suppress emotions: we are always compulsive perfectionists in some way, drive ourselves to succeed or we withdraw and become passive. It is crazy we attack people who hurt us and punish ourselves when we fail, we want to be accepted and help people so that we will be appreciated.
There is a need that usually propels us to act out or have a sense of some emotional pain. Sometime there is a need for guidance. It is difficult to Turn on the light of objectivity. Some of us have deep emotional and spiritual scars resulting from neglect, abuse , and manipulation that often accompany living in a dysfunctional family.
The list goes on ( alcoholism, divorce absent father or mother, excessive anger, verbal or physical abuse, and so on>>>>
Here is where we need help from the Holy Spirit and usually one other person who is willing to help.
We all bear the effects of our own sinful nature and imperfections of others.
The only way to heal is through being honest and wise about our hurts and then affirming relationships can be healed.
God wants us to be real with him??
Psalm 51:6. “Surely you desire truth in the inner parts: you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.”
Even King David cried out to God, He was angry with others and expressed his anger to the LORD in the depth of feeling.
David communicated his despair to the Lord and he expressed his anger to the Lord in terms that Reveal the depth of his feeling. (Read the Psalms)
We need substantial change in our lives and some times it’s hard to go through these hurts. God’s light may have revealed our pain and wall of defenses but it may not yet have penetrated to our deepest thoughts and beliefs about ourselves.
We may still feel that God doesn’t really care about me? Nobody will ever love me or I’ll never be able to change?
You see, when your light goes on and the light of love and honesty shines on thoughts of hopelessness it is often painful.
Our only healing is God’s love expressed through His people and woven into our lives by His Holy Spirit and His Word. Over a period of time we can heal even our deepest wounds and instill within us an appropriate sense of self worth.
When the light does come on in our lives, we will discover that we have tried to meet certain needs in the wrong way.
The purpose of this book is to provide clear biblical instructions about the basis of your self -worth.
When we find that we perceive our lives as having no value, purpose, or significance we become miserable. These individuals usually have deadened themselves to their own feelings to the point that they have many relational problems they do not even recognize.
In God’s Word It shows us that GOD cares and loves us so much that Jesus gave His life as a ransom for our lives.
From life’s onset we are all looking for love and searching to satisfy some inner yearning. We all need to be connected with our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins so we can be free from this world. (John 3:16)
God is making a Family again that loves him and chooses to be a warrior for Him.
When we live for the love and attention of others, it never satisfies _or last for very long. Despite our efforts we will never find fulfilling peace if we must continually have to prove ourselves to others.
Our desire to be loved and accepted is asymptomatic of a deeper need.
What need frequently governs our behavior and is the primary source of our emotional pain. Often unrecognized, this is our need for SELF_WORTH.
Here’s example:
Mark and Beth were loving and careing for each other in marriage.The only issues was that they were each looking for acceptance and admiration and value in each other. They both thought that the relationship would make them feel value and loved. When hard times came, Unfortunately, they were depending on each other to fill a void that could only be filled by their Creator. They always expected the other would always to be loving, accepting, and forgiving no matter what the circumstances were.
Soon Both were feeling betrayed and disillusioned. As The years passed by, affirmation was replaced by sarcasm and ridicule. They made it to 10 years marriage sadly they had experienced very little true unconditional love.
There search for self -worth and significance ended in despair.
Don’t forget the examples of someone who is moved by success.
The promise of fulfillment through success is an empty one.
Say, Billy was a successful Lawyer
and Sue wanted to be a success in being a
wife and a mother. How can I be good at this if the other person is never home????and doesn’t count us as a priority.Their lives began to reflect that strange combination of hopelessness and compulsion. Sadly, neither Billy or his wife realized that their search should both begin and end with God’s Word.
Amazing When you find that GOD supplies the essentials for discovering our true significance and worth.
John10:10
God treasures his Creation”
“ I have come that they may have life and have it to the fullest.”
God intends us to have this life. But there are still problems.God’s Love and forgiveness makes the difference. God gives us the Holy Spirit so we can ask for help. Remember God told us in Ephesians that this is a battle field . So we have to put the full armor of God on and ask that Holy Spirit for guidance on applying God’s Specific solutions to those problems.
The feeling of Signifance is crucial to man’s emotional, spiritual and social stability and is the driving element within the human spirit. Understanding this single need opens the door to understanding our actions and attitudes.
What a waste to attempt to change behavior without truly understanding the driving needs that cause such behavior !!
We must understand that this hunger for self -worth is GOD given and can only be satisfied by Him.
In this study we will examine ways to break free from bad behaviors and become free in God again
LOVED AND FORGIVEN.
You have arrived at Victory Hall.
Where we learn how to grow and find true Love in GOD.