"From life's outset, we find ourselves on the prowl, searching to satisfy some inner, unexplained yearning. Our hunger causes us to search for people who will love us. Our desire for acceptance pressures us to perform for the praise of others. We strive for success, driving our minds and bodies harder and harder, hoping that because of our sweat and sacrifice, others will appreciate us more." These words, written by Robert McGee, expose the relentless drive of the human soul to satisfy an inner, fundamental need. McGee identifies this driving need as our need for significance, or self-worth. In his book The Search for Significance, McGee demonstrates the frustration and hopelessness of searching for a lasting sense of self-worth in the world and shows how this sense of self-worth can be found as we trust in Christ and what He has done for us.

Before discussing what we can do to regain a healthy sense of self-worth, McGee begins by discussing why man has this need for a sense of self-worth, why that need often is not met, and what God has done to meet our need.

First, McGee affirms that when man was created, God placed within him a deep hunger for self-worth, a hunger that by design could only be satisfied by the perfect approval, acceptance and affection of God Himself. In his state of innocence, man had these essential things in perfection; consequently, his need for self-worth was fully met.

Second, McGee shows that as a result of man's rebellion, this sense of self-worth was lost. Because man had sinned against a God who cannot tolerate sin, there was no longer a legitimate foundation upon which man could base his sense of self-worth. God's favor had left man, and he was no longer worthy of God's approval, acceptance or affection. Because of this, man was left with the vain plight of striving to base his self-worth on other things which ultimately cannot satisfy (such as success, the approval of others, appearance, and status).

Third, McGee tells of what God Himself has done in order to lay a new foundation by which man once again can receive the approval, acceptance, and affection of God. Upon this foundation, a sense of self-worth could be regained. This new foundation is Christ. Though man deserved God's condemnation, God sent His Son into the world to be a substitute for as many as would receive Him. Taking the sins of these guilty sinners upon Himself, Christ bore the wrath of God on their behalf. In addition, He gave them His righteousness, making them fully acceptable to God. This great exchange applies to all who would stop trusting in their own work to earn God's acceptance and would trust in Christ's work alone to earn it for them. Due to the merit of Christ, they can now have a true sense of self-worth, since they are fully approved and accepted by God.

Once McGee discusses this basis for self-worth, he then discusses what we can do to experience a biblically-based sense of self-worth. He does this by exposing four major deceptions that people sometimes believe about themselves and then explains why these lies cannot be true because of what God has done for us. Understanding the implications of our redemption is a first step in experiencing healing from the repercussions of these deeply rooted lies in our lives. We may then begin to move forward to enjoy a Christ-centered sense of self-worth that God desires for us.

The first major deception that McGee points out which people tend to believe is this: "I must meet certain standards in order to feel good about myself." This belief suggests that success is the way to self-worth. Because of this false belief, many fall prey to the fear of failure. They are so convinced that they must not fail that they either become compulsively driven to succeed in many areas of their lives or they withdraw from other areas of life where the risk of failure may just be too high. But God offers a solution--justification. Justification means that when a person receives Christ, God takes away his sins and grants him the righteousness of Christ. Because of his being clothed in the righteousness of Christ, the believer is fully pleasing to the Father. Therefore, there is no longer any reason for him to fear failure. His self-worth is not based on whether he succeeds or not, but on the perfect success of Christ given to him.

The second major deception that McGee points out which people tend to believe is this: "I must have the approval of certain others to feel good about myself." This belief suggests that the approval of others is the way to self-worth. Because of this false belief, many become victims of the fear of rejection. As a consequence, they often attempt to please others at any cost. They also tend to be overly sensitive to criticism and withdraw from others to avoid disapproval. But again, God gives a solution--reconciliation. Reconciliation means that when a person decides to follow Christ, God takes him from being an enemy of God and forgives him, bringing him into an intimate relationship with Himself. Consequently, the follower of Christ is totally accepted by God and no longer has to fear rejection. His self-worth is not based on whether people accept him or not, but on the fact that God accepts him in Christ.

The third major deception that McGee points out which people tend to believe is this: "Those who fail (including myself) are unworthy of love and deserve to be punished." Because of this false belief, many give in to the fear of punishment. As a result, they tend to blame themselves and those around them for their own personal failures. They often punish others and will go to extremes to avoid punishment themselves. But God has a solution yet again--propitiation. Propitiation means that Christ satisfied God's wrath on behalf of repentant sinners by His death on the cross; therefore, the one who turns to Christ is deeply loved, not condemned, by God. So he no longer has to fear punishment, nor does he have to punish others. His self-worth is no longer threatened by punishment; Christ has taken all of the punishment that he deserved upon Himself; there is none left for him.

The fourth major deception that McGee points out which people tend to believe is this: "I am what I am. I cannot change. I am hopeless." Because of this false belief, many succumb to feelings of shame, hopelessness and inferiority. Consequently, they become passive, isolate themselves from others, and live life in a rut. Once more, God has a solution--regeneration. Regeneration means that the person who turns to Christ for a new life literally becomes a new person, a new creation in Christ. Because of the new life of the Spirit of Christ within him, he is able to break out of the rut of shame, hopelessness and inferiority. His self-worth is no longer threatened by shame (especially past shame); he is no longer the person he used to be. He is made new and is given the power daily to continue to change.

McGee points out that merely knowing these facts of what God has done for us is not enough to break free from the lies that prevent us from having a healthy sense of self-worth. There are several elements which, working together, will begin to promote the healing process. These are honesty, affirming relationships, biblical thinking, reliance upon the Holy Spirit, and time. As McGee emphasizes, through this process, we will come to see more and more that our self-worth is not based on our performance or what others think of us, but on the fact that we are deeply loved by God, completely forgiven, fully pleasing, totally accepted, and complete in Christ.

I think it is great that McGee has written a book that focuses on people's need to feel significant. Too often people in Reformed circles avoid this topic, fearing it to be a "man-centered" topic. In light of the fact that God did indeed create us with a need to feel significant, it is clear that this fear is an over-reaction to the self-esteem movement. McGee rightly gives the biblical answer to where man can find significance.

It is also worth noting, to McGee's credit, that this book does not take man's need for significance too far. People in the self-esteem movement would say that the ultimate goal is to feel good about yourself. McGee rightly says that the ultimate goal is to be made right with God, which results in feeling good about yourself. His perspective here is indeed God-centered.

I truly believe that this book is a masterful work fully consistent with Scripture. As Billy Graham says on the cover of the book, "The Search for Significance should be read by every Christian."

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