Mattering

There is a general malaise that affects many people in our modern world. It's not active pain, but  languishing. It’s that feeling that you're not really going anywhere, you're not doing what you're supposed to be doing, and things aren't really moving in any direction. Languishing happens in different seasons. It hits us when we feel overwhelmed and can barely make one step at a time. It happens in seasons when we feel stuck and wonder if things will ever change. It happens when we are called to persevere through suffering. These situations can lead us to wonder–do I really matter?

Mattering, which is another way to speak of  having purpose, is a key to human flourishing. The ability to feel God has a plan for our lives, and we are living it out, is an integral part of our identity. as if we are living out God's plan for our lives. Mattering makes a difference in any kind of life transition. Whether we are graduating from high school and heading into college, moving into adult life, getting married, becoming a parent, becoming an empty nester, caring for elderly parents, we all desire to know we are where God wants us to be. We need the sense that we are making some kind of difference, that we are contributing. It is important to us to know we matter.

God's Word speaks to the desire to matter. Psalm 139 says each one of us was created with intentionality. What does that intentionality look like when we are in the swamp lands of our lives? How can we move out of languishing and into the light of moving and mattering?

First, we have to push into our purpose. Living on purpose sounds like a great sound bite. The difficulty is that specific purposes change over time. Believers are called to give God glory in all things. Here are some things I discuss with people when we push into purpose.

Number one bistrate with your savior about how you are feeling and what the struggle for purpose looks like in your life. Tell him you are knocking, you are asking, you are seeking, what does he want you to do? how does he want you to live out life? as you prayed this prayer understand that purpose is all encompassing. you living out purpose may look like becoming engaged with other people in a new way, for example practicing more hospitality or becoming a volunteer tutor or visiting people in a nursing home. professional considerations, what you do with your free time, your particular giftedness, and the circumstances of your life, all are considerations in the question of purpose. has to learn to open  whatever door he chooses to help you understand what his purpose for you looks like.

Try to identify one area of strength that God has given you. Ephesians 4 says we are all given gifts that are valuable to the Church, which means that we are all given gifts that can be used to share Christ, love God with all we are, and love our neighbors as ourselves. If you don’t understand what your giftedness looks like, don't be afraid to ask someone. It’s not prideful to try to figure out what you're best suited to do in God's kingdom.

Another way to push into purpose is to cultivate passions and skills. When we learn, we gather information that can lead us to a new sense of purpose. We also glean important lessons about how others uncovered why they mattered and lived it out. Biographies are fascinating ways to see the puzzle of purpose fits together in another person’s life. One of the best quotes from the movie Chariots of Fire speaks to this process. When Olympic runner Eric Liddell and his sister Jenny talk about him becoming a foreign missionary, she says this is what God is really calling him to. Eric affirms that call but also adds to it. “Yes,” he says, “God has given me a heart for missions, but he has also made me fast, and when I run I feel his pleasure.” God’s pleasure and our passions often align in our purpose.

 Mattering might also mean trying something completely new. Our brains love variety and novelty. They also love connecting with others. The closer we get to God's creative world and people who are part of that creation, the more his purpose will begin to shine in our lives. Live your life in first-person. In other words, as much as possible, exchange screens for reality. When you want to work out, get your feet on the ground in a forest. If you can have an actual cup of coffee with someone, instead of facetime, do it. These small actions help you feel connected with God’s creation, and give you a sense of belonging in it.  

Mattering is the way we create meaning in our lives, and reflect the meaning of Christ in our lives.  It may sound redundant, but yep, that matters.