In his book The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren observes that everyone operates on one of three levels: survival, success, or significance. Most of the world, for example, tends to operate at the “survival” level. Of the almost seven billion people who currently inhabit this planet, half subsist on less than two dollars a day—and a third of those on less than one dollar. Their primary concern is simply with surviving from one day to the next.

By way of contrast, if you reside in this country, you are likely operating at the “success” level. This is not to suggest that the United States is without poverty; but relative to the rest of the world, most Americans are not worried about merely surviving. We already possess more than enough to survive. Our overriding concern is with being successful. Indeed, that’s a large part of what drives our society—the perceived need that we should have a bigger this and a better that!

The only problem with operating at the “success” level is that, ultimately, it doesn’t prove all that satisfying. You can have plenty to live on and still not have much to live for—which is why, according to Warren, there is yet a third level … significance. To operate at the “significance” level is to recognize that—no matter how much you possess, or what lofty position you obtain—if you don’t have a sense of purpose, then sooner or later, your life will feel pretty meaningless.

So how does one go about operating at the “significance” level? Well, unlike the “success” level, which obviously requires some effort on our part, I do not believe that significance is something we acquire all on our own. You can’t earn significance by getting an advanced degree or by logging in a few more hours at the office. Significance is something we are given—and if you ask me, the clearest demonstration of our significance is the gift we receive at Christmas!

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,” writes the prophet Isaiah, “and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Put another way, the good news of Christmas is not that humankind worked so hard, and became so successful, that God decided to award us with a personal visit. The good news of Christmas is that, despite our constant slip-ups and shortcomings, God’s love is so continuous, and so unconditional, that God simply could not stand spending another moment apart from us. That, in and of itself, should speak volumes about our level of significance in God’s eyes!