The Significant Life
John 6:37–40
All that the Father gives me will come to me. John 6:37

If you are a Christian, the fact that it is because God has chosen you and accomplished the work of your salvation is a great truth for you, for it is a truth that gives tremendous importance to what you become in Christ and to what you do. God has a plan. So if he has chosen you and called you to himself in the course of his day-by-day unfolding of that plan, then where you are and what you do where you are matters. The most important thing in this entire universe is, not what is happening in the halls of our heads of state or in the laboratories of the world’s most brilliant scientists, but what is happening in you now. This gives importance to whatever you do. It means you matter.

Are you saying, “But I am far too insignificant; I am not important”? In the world’s eyes, yes, that may be true. But it is not true for God. In Shakespeare’s King Lear there is a dungeon scene in which a number of selfish nobles are about to put out the eyes of an old man named Gloucester. It is a wicked deed, and they are doing it for their own selfish ends. On the stage with them is an exceedingly minor character in the play. He does not even have a name. In the list of dramatis personae, he is just called a servant. No one has been paying any attention to him. Nevertheless, in this one scene he rushes across the stage to defend Gloucester. At once one of the nobles turns about and simply cuts him down with his sword. Then they go on and blind the old man anyway. Who is important in this scene? The world answers, “the noble.” But if this were real life and we were looking at the play from God’s perspective, the right answer would be, “the servant.” For he did the right thing at the right moment.

We do not see this great drama of life clearly. God is the only One who knows the end from the beginning. We do not know the importance of our role, but we do know that he has created us and called us so that at this particular moment in the drama, in the play called “Time,” we might take the part he has given in a way that is honoring to Jesus Christ. Will you take that role? Will you live for him? This is the spiritual meat of the text that tells us that all whom the Father has given to Jesus shall come to him and that no one who comes will be cast out.

Taken from Come to the Waters by James Boice ISBN 9798887790954 used with permission from P&R Publishing, Phillipsburg NJ 08865

Scripture quotations are from the ESV (the Holy Bible English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.