You were made for significance

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Dennis Saucier
  • 436th Airlift Wing chaplain
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  I've often pondered what the essence of spiritual resiliency is. I've recently learned that the Comprehensive Airman Spiritual Pillar is adopting the new definition from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Staff Instruction (CJCSI 3405.01) on total force fitness.

The new short definition is: "Spiritual Fitness is the ability to adhere to beliefs, principles, or values needed to persevere and prevail in accomplishing missions."

But among the many definitions I've found, I'm most impressed by this perspective from Rick Warren, nationally known author of The Purpose Driven Life. Rick observed, "Don't wait to move from success to significance. You were made for more than success. You were made for significance."

At first, this quote took me a little off guard. All of my life I've heard that success meant significance; at least that is how Hollywood and Madison Ave presented it. You know the song, be the best; accumulate money, power or influence; have the nicest house, car, wife or husband, kids. Be the one in charge, climb the corporate ladder, become the chief or the general--be the boss. But in the end, as one cynic noted, "even if you win the rat race, you're still a rat."

That's what sets significance apart from success. Significance is a whole different pathway for success. Significance takes us beyond the superficial, immediate material or external gratification based on things, positions or relationships that can be so easily lost.

Significance, on the other hand, means making life count and that often involves making a difference in the lives of others. Teach, mentor, heal, build, defend, console, lead, sacrifice are the verbs of significance. It means changing the way things are for something better.

Ultimately success ends in estate sales; significance ends in legacy. God made you for significance!