The Privileged Life: Are You Insignificant? Or a Star?
“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” (Psalm 8:3-4)
Many days, I feel so insignificant.
That’s because, in the eyes of the world, I am.
I’m one little nobody on a planet of 8.1 billion people. Just a speck of sand on the seashore. A penny compared to the U.S. national debt, $37.4 trillion and counting. (And one very unimportant author among the thousands who crop up every day on Amazon….)
But wait. I want to be a star! Do you?
Many people on our itty-bitty Earth have this weird desire to stand out from the crowd—to be recognized as someone special, celebrated, or distinguished. Maybe you want to be a sports star. Maybe you’d like to be on stage, top of the hits list. Or maybe your heart’s desire is to be featured on TikTok, with millions of followers. Fame is alluring.
If we live according to the ways of the world, we could easily seek our significance in the accumulation of stuff and money. We could attempt to find our meaning by winning a major election, writing a Pulitzer-prize novel, discovering a cure for cancer, or securing the final touchdown of the Super Bowl. We could achieve National Merit Scholar status, marry a tycoon, or ride a rocket into space.
We crave to be seen as the star among the stars.
All of these accomplishments are well and good. But are they enough? Can you really find your significance in them?
Here’s the actual value of our work—unless it’s done for the glory of God and to serve His kingdom, none of it will last. Everything fades as rapidly as our little globe turns, and each morning’s arrival trots out a new boatload of stars. Today’s in-the-news president is but a few lines in tomorrow’s history book, gathering dust on a library shelf.
We are all insignificant. Except in the sight of God.
Our Lord is the Creator of everything. Not a single particle of dust, not a single atom is outside of His sovereignty. He created our entire universe, down to the infinitesimal detail.
And, he values each of us…not because of fame, accomplishment, wealth, education, or social position. He loves us in spite of all those things, because we are His prized creation, made in His image.
Yes, you are a princess or prince when your Father is the King. You’re already a privileged star!
And what’s a real star anyway? It’s a heavenly body that appears as a luminous object in the night…or in the case of our Sun, in the daytime. A star radiates light, illuminating all the other bodies in its system. Its heat warms all those around it. Our Sun is a tiny star among the 100 billion in the Milky Way, floating along in dozens of other galaxies, yet it nurtures and maintains a perfect orbit for our even tinier Earth.
I want to be that kind of star—drawing light from my Creator as the power source and sharing His clarity and goodness with others in my sphere of influence. I want to be a warm beacon for Him in the cold darkness.
So how do we become stars for our God?
Warm others by your worship. Scripture tells us the stars are bursting with praise to our Lord. In the words of poetic Job, the morning stars sang together like a choir at the beginning of creation! (Job 38:7) The writer of Psalm 148:3 calls on God’s heavenly orbs to utter His praises: “Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you stars of light!”
Then, illuminate others with God’s truth. Daniel prophesied about stars in end times: “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.” (Daniel 12:3)
Take heart, friend, whenever you feel unnoticeable or inconsequential. Your influence as a star for our Lord is far greater and more powerful than you can imagine. Reach out to unbelievers, especially those who are hurting, and joyfully share His truth and grace with them. Let His light gleam through you, to give them hope in the face of their pain.
Rest assured, you are very important to God. The one who “counts the number of the stars” and “calls them all by name” loves you very much and knows you intimately (Psalm 147:4). You are His star forever, so shine forth!
Heavenly Creator, I join the stars in their joyful praise to You in song! Let me lift up Your Son Jesus as the source of all light and truth, illuminating the pathway to others for salvation. Call me to shine for You and encourage others to receive Your righteousness and grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Nancy C. Williams is a Christian wife/mom with a writing career spanning more than 40 years in business and journalism. Williams is the author of the novel To Love a Falcon and the devotional book A Crocus in the Desert: Devotions, Stories, and Prayers for Women Experiencing Infertility. Her weekly blogs are featured on Crossmap.com. To follow Nancy’s posts and news, go to her home page at http://lightbournecreative.com and subscribe at the bottom.
© Copyright 2024 Nancy C. Williams, Lightbourne Creative (text and photography) Unless otherwise noted, Scripture verses are taken from the New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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