How Do You Define Popular?

As we were pulling up to school one morning, my daughter pointed out a group of girls standing in a circle. She told me these were the “popular” girls at the school and went on to say that this group had the self-ordained power to determine which group a person belongs in: The Popular, The Nerds or The Losers.
I asked her which group she fell into. “I’m either part of the nerdy group, or I guess I’m a loser,” she answered. My heart sank as I observed how she identified her importance by a title someone else had given her. I remember being so upset, I had to do everything possible not to run my car up the curb and give those girls a piece of my mind. How could anyone be so cruel to judge another human being like that? Well, before my anger reached a boiling state, I was quickly reminded how I was no different than those girls. Suddenly I recalled a list of times I exerted my “self-ordained” judgmental attitude. In a flash, this list became so long I actually pulled my car over, took a deep breath and prayed, “I’m sorry God. Help me to be what You need me to be.”
I felt like a puppy being punished, slinking away with its tail between its legs. Yet God’s divine discipline is what helps us distinguish between His ways and the world’s ways. God was right and I was wrong. The fact that I even judged those girls showed me how quickly I could become guilty of this sinful nature too.
The conversation with my daughter stayed on my mind throughout the day. It made me think about what group Jesus must have belonged to while He walked on this earth. He certainly wasn’t part of the “popular” group since this group had Him crucified. I suppose He would have been placed in either the nerdy or loser group. In fact, if we consider the people whom He chose to be His disciples, they were probably in one of the latter groups also.
We’re all guilty of judging others and often our opinions are based on outwardly appearances. We love to live our lives vicariously through the rich and famous, yet God wants us to live our lives through Him. He looks inwardly while the world looks outwardly. His Word teaches us that our most priceless asset stems from the depth of our faith.
God doesn’t care about the possessions we have or outwardly appearances. He looks for the contents of our hearts. Moses, a poor Sheppard was chosen by God to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. David, a poor Sheppard and musician became one of the greatest kings ever. So if God is capable of looking inside our hearts, why is it so difficult for us? A common dilemma we face is deciding whose favor we seek more: God’s or the world’s?
If your child is not part of the popular group, remind them that Jesus wasn’t either. Jesus didn’t come to this earth to win a popularity contest. His mission was to save us from our sinful nature. No matter what group the world places us in, there are no groups in God’s eyes. We are all His children whom He loves and designed in His image.
When we read the Bible, God teaches us His ways are often unpopular with the world, but living like Christ means loving Him more than loving the world. When you place God first, chances are you won’t be popular, but what you gain from having faith exceeds anything this world has to offer.

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only at your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 2:3-5)

How do we define our significance?

What roles do titles playing in defining our significance? Do we measure our worth by the titles we wear, or the standards of our faith? Do we fear losing our titles more than we fear God? Only an honest answer can come from our hearts. When we live for the things of this world, the answer becomes very clear. Living for this world means defining our purpose by the world's standards, and not by God's Word.
What is the purpose behind our titles? Is it solely to generate revenue, analyze reports, or manage a team? Sadly to say, I never considered God's role in my business life. In fact, the only time I spoke with God was on Sunday mornings. When Monday came, I never asked God for advice on business matters. I had a team of experts to provide the answers. Then, one day, God humbled me by pointing out, He is the ONLY expert.
Even worse, I allowed my title of Vice President to become more important than the title God had given me of motherhood. My significance was tied to the size of my paycheck and the title on my business card, until the day I didn't have a job or a paycheck. I remember waking up, feeling very insignificant.
We have to remember that our purpose in life may be different than God's purpose for us. I went twenty years without ever considering this notion. Whatever title you have at work, be proud of your accomplishments and work hard. But remember, our titles represent such a small part of a much greater purpose for our lives. God wants everyone to be successful, but it's important to know our success is His blessing upon our lives.
Take a moment today and reflect on everything you have in your life. These are more than gifts, they are blessings given to us by our Creator. God does not define our significance by the titles we wear. God defines significance by the depth of our faith.
Jennifer W. Johnson
Published Author of the book, "What Have You Done For Me Lately?"