"What will it matter, anyway?" "What difference am I making?" "What contribution of lasting value a have I ever accomplished on the earth?" Have you ever asked any questions like these? I think most of us; perhaps all of us want to be certain that there is a reason and a purpose to our lives. With this longing, some have a deeply rooted fear that their lives may be insignificant as illustrated in our drama this morning.

These sentiments are expressed in these words penned by Leonard Woolf, a British author and statesman:

"Looking back at the age of eighty-eight over 57 years of my political work in England, knowing what I aimed at and the results, mediating on the history of Britain and the world since 1914, I see clearly that I achieved practically nothing. The world today and the history of the human ant hill during the last 57 years would be exactly the same as it is if I had played Ping-Pong instead of sitting on committees and writing books and memoranda. I have therefore to make the rather ignomious confession to myself and to anyone who may read this book that I must have in a lone life ground through between 150,000 and 200,000 hours of perfectly useless work."

When a person who has served in the British Parliament doesn't think what he has done in his life has been worthwhile, we might wonder how those of us in less prestigious positions live significant lives?

I believe that the good news is that living lives of significance is within the grasp of each person who seeks to live in right relationship with Jesus Christ. Have you ever said, "I was in the right place at the right time?" Do you think our lives are that fatalistic? Would the God who knew us in our mother's womb and numbers the very hairs on our head put us on earth in a senseless looking for purpose and design? I don't think He would. There is however significance being in God's place, in God's time, and in God's design.

I. Significance in God's Place.

Perhaps many of us have personally dealt with the greener grass syndrome. Often, we later come to realize that the grass may be just as green in the place we are.

Esther, Mordecai, and many other Jews were in God's place, even though it may not have seemed like a good place to be for a while. That can be the case with being in God's place, oftentimes. Before the decree many would have liked to have traded places with Esther. This woman was a celebrity, she was the queen. What a grand place to be, the palace of the king. God had put Esther, Mordecai, and others in special places to work out His miracle of preservation of the Jews living in Persia. Mordecai learned of the decree to destroy all the Jews within the huge Persian Empire. He went out into the city in sackcloth and ashes, weeping and wailing loudly. Because he was clothed in sackcloth he was not allowed to enter the king's gate. Esther's maids and attendants came to tell her about Mordecai. Esther then sent Hathach to find out what was troubling him. Esther was to realize the significance of being in God's place.

In the nitty gritty of some of our tasks we may not think our lives have significance. Perhaps we can lose track of eternity as we care for our children, as we go to our jobs, even as we teach a SS class or sing in a choir. Do you think Mary ever looked at her infant Son, Jesus, and questioned her significance?

Joni Eareckson Tada in her film's life story said, "I would rather be in this chair knowing God than out of it without Him." I sincerely believe that God has placed us in certain settings for His reasons. These give each of our lives significance. Each of us has significance in God's place.

II. Significance in God's Time.

In the story of Esther we read this morning, Esther had sent her servant Hathach to find out what was troubling Mordecai. He thought that Esther was not only in God's place, but also in God's time. After Esther was protesting that this was not the right time for me to approach the king, Mordecai said, "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?"

Many people spend part of their lives waiting for their ship to come in, their day of importance, and moment in the sun, their big break. Often, as a result, many opportunities of finding their significance in God's time are missed. Have you and I missed some of these?

Edith Schaeffer wrote: "The thing about real life is that important events don't announce themselves. Trumpets don't blow, drums don't beat to let you know you are going to meet the most important person you've ever met, or read the most important thing you are ever going to read, or have the most important conversation you are ever going to have, or spend the most important week you are going to spend. Usually something that is going to change your life is a memory before you can stop and be impressed about it."

Our significance is determined by being in God's place, in God's time, and finding our significance in God's design.

III. Significance in God's Design.

Let's think back to the story of Esther. Mordecai had suggested that she might have very well have been in God's place and God's time. Why did she think God had put her in the position of Queen of Persia at this time in history? Was it mere fate? I think not. God had a design in which she could find real significance. Notice what she did after Mordecai's message got through to her understanding. She asked him to gather all the Jews in the city of Susa to fast for her for three days and nights. She and her maidens would do so too, and then she would go into the king, even though it was a serious risk. Esther was significant in God's place, time, and obedience to the design of God, regardless of the cost.

Conclusion

You and I do not have to be Esther, Mordecai, or someone else, better known to have significance to God. Dispel that fear. We all have significance because God has created us for His purposes. It is through out relationship with God that we realize this truth.

Let me close with a story from the life of Michael J. Fox. He had just won an Emmy Award and came home late after the parties, the glitz and glamour of the event and walked into the kitchen of his parent's home. He placed his Emmy in the middle of the kitchen table so other family members could admire it the next morning. Michael had quite a surprise the next morning. All around his Emmy were the trophies other family members had received for bowling, speech, volleyball, and track. Yes, Michael was significant, but so were other members of the family. In God's Family, all members are significant.

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