One of the greatest urges we have as humans is simply to feel important — to feel needed. No place on earth is more evident of this than high school. Everywhere I look I see kids longing to feel desired and necessary. Whether it’s on sports teams, clubs, with friends, or with a boyfriend/girlfriend. In fact, virtually everything someone does in high school is to achieve this. The “smart” kids are seeking to find importance in the eyes of colleges, teachers or society in general. The “athletic” ones seek it on the field. The “popular” ones seek it amongst everyone, and “outcasts” seek it in many different places. Regardless, we’re all chasing that feeling of indispensability.

This is also evident in our churches. I’ve noticed that even within these walls we are motivated by importance-seeking. For many (myself included) serving, going, and doing things within the church has “this will make you important” written all over it. Maybe we don’t say it flat out, but we think that maybe if we go serve people the church will ask us to do more things and eventually they will realize that they need us. Many times, we don’t even realize it’s there. However, this is clear cut self-glorifying selfishness. If we do anything with an idea that it will get us something in return, even if that something is nothing tangible, measurable or hardly even noticeable, it is selfish.

By trying to seek self-affirmation in return for our service, we are actually being legalistic. We are trying to somehow prove our place as a son or daughter of God. However, if we serve without any part of ourselves in mind, we are being humble. This is to reflect Christ. Consider the model He set: “Although He existed in the form of God, [He] did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped” (Philippians 2:6). I don’t hear a hint of self-importance in that. He was the most important person to ever live, and yet He humbled Himself beneath us!

Here’s a reality that I have had a hard time coping with, and (if you are a human) you will too: we aren’t important. If the Bible is clear on one thing it is that we are nothing. Now I’m not saying that we should just end it all and give up because we don’t matter. But what I am saying is that when we accept Christ, we accept that God doesn’t need us. God can literally do whatever He wants. He breathed out stars. The last thing He needs is a human being to accomplish some task for Him.

However, if the Bible is clear on one other thing, it is this: He wants us. At every point and every step God has been pursuing our hearts. He has been pursuing your heart. He sent His very own Son, the rightful heir to an Eternal Kingdom, to die in our place to make us co-heirs with Him! Yes, our measly little human place. We rebelled. We hated God and rejected His love. We killed His only Son. But He pursued anyway and stopped at nothing to prove how deep His love is. And once we accept this love, He gives us a job — a job He could easily do on His own. He doesn’t give us this job to prove we are needed. Rather, He gives it to prove that we are wanted. He wanted us so much He died to reach us.

And this eternally glorious and matchless God has a divine plan — a plan that has spanned the course of all history. This plan is to glorify His name all throughout the earth; this plan is to glorify His importance. And He wants us to be a part of it! He wants us to be the vessel through which this plan is carried out. This has nothing to do with our importance and everything to do with His — the Creator, Sustainer and Savior of us.