Shaun Groves
Significance. Here’s one theory: In an agricultural society (think Israel in 100 AD or America in the early 1900s) every member of the family is given a significant task. That task is significant because if it’s not accomplished the family suffers. If little Johnny Bob doesn’t milk the cows the family has nothing to drink, cook with or sell. If little Melchizadek doesn’t shepherd the sheep the family has nothing to wear, to cook with or sell. Significance isn’t merely personal. I am significant to us.
For most of history humans have been shaped by this sort of society. Some evolutionary biologists have even argued that our brains are now conditioned to desire the agricultural society’s “us” version of significance. It’s in our genes…or somewhere deeper.
Consider America since the Industrial Age. Adults do the working and wage earning and the buying of stuff, most of which doesn’t feel all that life-and-death significant in an affluent culture like ours. Kids are given sudo-significant tasks like cleaning their rooms and mowing the yard. The health, wealth and safety of the family don’t hinge upon these kinds of tasks.
Without a significant task our interests devolve from us to I. Significance is sought from those things which make me happy or set me apart in some way: drugs, free love, evangelism, higher education, rebellion against “The Man,” becoming “The Man,” little league, dance class, guitar lessons, blog traffic, and church attendance.
Seven and a half hours of TV a day, WiFi, cell phones, DVDs, MP3s, STDs, SUVs, PTA, NBA, VFW, PhDs, lots of MSG and no significance.
In our industrialized modern nation significant tasks are hard to find. Without them I has replaced us and we feel insignificant.
That’s one theory.
jwise says:
It’s kinda strange you post this today. I was talking with my wife just this Sunday about the fact that so much of what goes on at a “church service” is in response to the question, “What’s God’s will for MY life?”
The question I posed, though, is this… What if God’s will for MY life is simply that I become part of the Church (the real, body of Christ Church)? What if instead of asking what my needs are, I always seek to find “our needs”? What if living apart from deep, daily fellowship is, for me, like drowning or trying to live without my legs or my lungs?
That’s the suffocation I’ve been feeling lately. I don’t have the fellowship I need. I don’t have close friends I can have long Sunday afternoon discussions with. Because everyone who “attends my church” is far more consumed with shuttling kids to events, paying for those huge SUVs, and checking the “I went to church at least once this week” box.
And Scripture sure seems to paint a picture of a people made up of Jesus’ followers.. NOT a bunch of individuals.
And when our focus returns to “What is God’s will for US as His Church?”, I’m CERTAIN that we’ll instinctively take care of those in need, we’ll confront sin in our brothers and sisters, we’ll abandon the ways and desires of this world, we’ll reach out and welcome thousands into our fellowship.
Satan easily defeats a bunch of wandering and exhausted sheep. Put us together behind our Shepherd, though, and I think we’ve got a whole new beast.
MamasBoy says:
This post resonates with me on one level and doesn’t on others and I don’t know how to express that.
I do think that it is important to give kids responsibility early and often. My 4 year old puts his own clothes away and does various odd chores like and being given small sticks to carry when cutting firewood so this winter he can know he contributed to keeping the family warm and I can break him in early for getting more significant help. He has fun just hanging out with me in the woods and it makes him so proud to put on his own gloves and help out every half hour or so. Hopefully this enthusiasm remains as he grows up. Everything’s fun when you’re four.
MB