The Search For Significance: Seeing Your True Worth Through God's Eyes Paperback – July 15, 2003

Great reading, will change your thinking if you do not think this way already.

Great for finding our purpose

Overall this is probably a good resource for people who are having some problems in the way they relate to others, and need to discover the reason why. The author includes some good tools for assessing where the reader has some faulty thinking in the areas of justification, reconciliation, and sanctification--faulty thinking that can affect relationships to an extreme degree in some cases.Personally, I have been aware of the flaws in my theological thinking as it related to my interpersonal relating, and was looking for a way to get "unstuck." This was one of a string of several resources, and was most helpful in the area of pointing out my warped way of thinking of justification/reconciliation. My view of justification was that, although Christ saved me, God was still angry with me for my sins and I imagined him watching me, shaking his head in dismay. The book helped me understand through scripture that Christ's death in payment for my sins wipes the slate clean, making me just as pure and acceptable to God as Christ himself, even as we continue to struggle against sin. I am still getting my mind around this.What was NOT helpful was the author's recommendation for convincing ourselves to forgive others. In the workbook (p. 243) the author writes "It may be difficult for you to forgive those who've hurt your feelings, gossiped about you, not taken time to answer your questions, laughed at your mistakes, or blamed you for an error. Your list may also include people who don't dress the way you'd like like them to, who don't clean up the way you'd like them to, who are more shy or more gregarious than you, or wo don't spend their money the way they do...When anyone sins against you or offends you in any way, reflect on this: There is nothing that anyone can do to me that can compare with what Christ has forgiven me for! This will help you gain a proper perspective on how you can truly forgive other people."Admittedly, if this kind of pettiness is what you struggle with, this is good advice. But if you are a reader like me, who grew up with alcoholic abusive parents--or worse--gossip and not enough attention are not really at the top of our list of concerns. Those of us who have been victims of immoral or criminal acts, and are just trying to survive day-to-day, struggling to forgive the terrors we have lived through and the aftermath of havoc it wreaks on our adult relationships, are going to have trouble taking the rest of the book seriously. I cannot really bring myself to finish it. I have tried, but my mind wanders.The other aspect I found lacking was that the author does not address the issue of self-injury in his chapters dealing with punishment and shame (chs. 7-9). This is something that is lacking in Christian counselling and self-help materials, and it is a real tragedy that this topic is not discussed as openly as sex, abuse, alcoholism and so many other difficult topics that the Christian counselling community has addressed so well. It would make it so much easier to seek help if self-injury was addressed as openly, and understood as well as the other difficult topics. So the author is in good company, sadly. And I think this book was written in the 80's when self-injury was even less understood and more of a dirty little secret.However, it wouldn't be a bad resource for most folks who are looking to deepen their relationship with Christ. Just keep in mind that the author could have thought a little more deeply about what people really struggle to forgive. Maybe it is time for an updated edition?Other resources I would recommend for people who struggle with deeper issues than this book is willing to address are "The Emotionally Destructive Relationship" by Leslie Vernick, "How We Love" by Milan and Kay Yerkovich, and "Seeing Yourself Through God's Eyes" by June Hunt. Listening to June Hunt's "Hope for the Heart" program on the radio almost daily for the last 6 months has probably been the most helpful resource for me. She talks about letting go of "strongholds"--areas in our lives that we hang on to so tightly that the Holy Spirit cannot get in an work. And for spiritual battles her favorite verse to quote is 2 Corinthians 10:5 "...we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (Oddly this verse would have been very appropriate in several places in THIS book, yet it did not appear.) And her take on 2 Corinthians 5:17 -- "That was then, this is now," -- has been very helpful in overcoming the shame of my own failures. Also listening to authors' interviews on Focus on the Family and Family Life Today have REALLY been helpful. If you do not get these programs on a radio station in your area, go to their websites to listen, or to [...]

Life can hand out some really tough seasons! This will help get you through them.

So far this book has been an amazing experience. Would recommend.

When I expressed my enthusiasm over Search for Significance by Robert S. McGee, a friend wondered why such an elementary topic was so important. After all, by this time I should know my value in the Lord. Well, I did and I do. Nevertheless, this book greatly enhanced my understanding and established a new level of freedom.McGee identifies four specific mindsets that keep people from knowing they are valuable to God, to themselves, and to other people: The Performance Trap deals with feeling a need to meet "certain standards" to experience fulfillment; Approval Addition tells us we need the approval of others "to feel good about" ourselves (a common reason for doing the "right" thing in my childhood home was "What will the neighbors think?"); The Blame Game refers to looking for "fault" and identifying the person or persons deserving punishment (and that someone could be us); Shame overwhelms through making one feel unable to change (which is a form of hopelessness).McGee deals with the problems in four individual chapters, all made abundantly clear through the use of illustrations or examples. Following or interspersed between them are chapters on God's antidote: for The Performance Trap, justification; for Approval, reconciliation; for the Blame Game, propitiation; and for Shame, regeneration. Put together, they cover God's plan of redemption. After finishing the book I wondered if the organization was a bit forced--after all, we need the fullness of redemption for any one of the problem areas. Yet it was an effective way to break up and maintain interest while looking at abstract theological concepts. My attention did not waver.Three concluding chapters deal with applying God's Truth. McGee emphasizes the importance of being set free from false beliefs. A chapter on the difference between conviction (revelation of sin that produces true guilt which points to Christ and forgiveness) and condemnation (false guilt that leads to separation from Christ and loss) was priceless. According to McGee, "[God's] conviction of believers is not intended to produce pangs of guilt. Our status and self-worth are secure by the grace of God... Conviction deals with our behavior, not our status before God. Conviction is the Holy Spirit's way of showing the error of our performance in light of God's standard and truth. His motivation is love, protection, and correction."Each chapter includes an excellent thought-provoking interactive section. In addition, the version of the book I purchased is completed by a rather lengthy workbook to use in conjunction with the text. Although I didn't work through it at the time, I did scan the material and decided it would be a good project down the road, perhaps something to study as part of a small group. One always benefits when reaffirming or strengthening a solid foundation.

Good book, half is a workbook coinciding with the chapters and the workbook is heavy and indepth. It’s a thought provoking read.

This book has changed my life! Gods Holy Word confirmes Satan is the father of lies,& the author of confusion! This book plus the difficult questions in the back , have seriously helped me, reminded me of my True identity in Christ Jesus! There are SO MANY LIES you can tell yourself over the years! This book uses Gods HOLY and perfect Word to CONFIRM the Christians identity in Christ! It is extremely important to carefully and slowly go through the questions in the back.It’s Very important to be Very honest with yourself!

Over many years I have run a course using this book for a good number of people - some of them with big issues. I don't just teach with it, I go through the steps with those on the course and always know the increasing benefit personally. Nearly every one who worked through this seriously found a great and positive changes in their lives. Some had been struggling for decades and found a new zest for life, happy with themselves without becoming self-absorbed. Although the book is written from a serious Christian point of view, I found that those who didn't profess any particular faith also found the benefits.To really benefit from the book, I would suggest that you go through it with a trusted friend, discussion and 'safe' sharing accelerates inner healing and reinforces the positive outcomes. This is not a 'do it yourself feel good book.' It is a serious study in reality and truth and how to apply it to your life.This book shows workable antidotes to:Compulsion to achieve that still leaves you emptyReliance on others praise and fear of their rejectionGuilt feelings vs real guilt and how to deal with bothFeelings of shame and feeling powerless to changeIt is not a 'miracle' book, but many claim that it has revolutionised permanently their daily life and relationships.This is a revised version and in my opinion has become more potent for it.It is an easy read, but don't hurry there are real gems that you can miss.

The Search for Significance explores the consequences of believing the false self-worth equation of Self-Worth = Performance + Others' Opinions.Through practical biblical teaching and illustrated by case studies, author Robert S. McGee aims to teach readers that "'Our true value is based not on our behaviour or the approval of others but on what God's Word says is true of us."' (p. 19)This is one of the most liberating books I've read in a long time. My copy is filled with sticky notes highlighting key passages. I have the revised and expanded book and workbook in one volume, a 337-page trade paperback. The first half is the teaching, and the second has questions for reflection and/or discussion to complement each chapter.Robert McGee has extensive background in counselling, and he's quick to clarify that the book's scope doesn't include problems or disorders tied to physiological issues, which require extra help. Many of us, however, will benefit from a prayerful reading and even from taking this journey in company with a trusted friend.

I had a really old copy of this and wanted the newest version to re-read and re-digest. I was delighted it was available and it's deep truths still accessible. I was disappointed almost immediately though in that it had not been updated in style. From my perspective as a female it is surprisingly masculine and this is off-putting. Literature nowadays is written gender neutral and so reading 'man's intended purpose', 'man's value', 'that man might experience' etc jars the reading. Other subleties such as naming couples with the man first etc are all part of what was always the 'normal' masculine way of writing and was just accepted 30 years ago but not really anymore. As this book is so much about 'being valued' I would so love to read it feeling valued as a female reader.

Renowned Preacher Billy Graham writes i the fly leaf, 'Every Christian should read this book'. And I can see why. If you've been a Christian for a while and still feel like you're jumping through hoops to please God, read this book and learn how to enjoy your walk with God in confidence and without all those hang ups holding you back from being the person God created you to be. We live by GRACE! The key word to this book that will release you, if you will let it. I recommend this book to every Christian I meet for the first time.

It helps me to understand what are the roots of my struggle concerning my personal value.The battle of the mind. How Satan influences and lies . Why I was a approval addict during all my life. How my mind was shaped. How, sadly, I believed that my value was my own performance plus the opinion of others. My value is in the complete work of Jesus.