Seeking Relevance

“And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” (Matthew 16:26 NLT)

Brett Favre is one of the most successful NFL players in recent history. His outstanding career as a quarterback and his multiple endorsement deals have also made him very wealthy. Yet, Favre is almost as well-known for his reluctance to retire as for anything else. After several decades in the limelight, it is understandable that he would have trouble adjusting to private life. Adulation can be a hard addiction to quit.

We all want to be relevant, to make an impact, to be significant. We are eager to pour ourselves into endeavors and people that make us feel valued. When others seek us out, validate us, admire us--we imagine that we are important and essential. Unfortunately, this sort of relevance is not sustainable. As we age, our physical bodies deteriorate and our mental abilities decline. No matter how much we contribute to this world, in a few decades, we will no longer matter.

We spend our entire life chasing after external validation, imagining that it will bring meaning and purpose to our existence. Our self concept and self worth become deeply dependent on worldly affirmation, however fleeting.  And, the more we focus on this temporal relevance, the less we pay attention to what is truly significant--our internal connection with God, our eternal soul.