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Calvary Herald |
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All of us, at one time or another, have been bothered by what other people think of us. We've wondered whether our clothing, words or actions have met with their approval or not. Maybe we have wondered whether in the eyes of someone else we have failed or been successful.
All of us at times have a problem admitting to our mistakes or sins; perhaps we rationalize the matter when we see it, or heatedly argue our innocence when confronted by someone else, and all the while, we know that we are wrong.
At times, maybe we think we are inferior to others around us. Perhaps someone else is better looking or has more money, a better job, a nicer home, more expensive clothes, a better education, a more pleasing personality, or has learned certain social graces we did not know existed. This presents a special problem in our lives when there isn't the security and acceptance we need in our relationships with those in our family; a wife or husband thinking her or himself to be inferior in his own eyes or in the eyes of the one to whom he is married; the same applies to a child in the family. Does he think of himself as inferior or think others look upon him in that way?
To handle this insecurity and inferiority, people try all sorts of measures. Some work hard at being like everyone else or like whatever everyone else thinks is good. Others worry themselves sick with ways to get others to notice them, praise them, or at least accept them in some way. Still others become withdrawn and depressed. The high standards to which they think they must attain to be accepted by others or comfortable around them are so great that they become defeated and crawl into their self-imposed shell; or they may become hyper-critical, so that the only way they can lift themselves up is to always be cutting someone else down. Then, others simply try to make it day after day with things the way they are, miserable in their inferiority and insecurity, and either admitting to it, yet thinking nothing can be done, or else refusing to admit to the problem, because it would only make them more insecure or inferior.
How can Christians deal with the problem? If anyone ought to be without these insecurity and inferiority hang-ups, it ought to be the child of God, who has the most secure and enviable position in this life. This problem is not solved through people learning to love themselves, or in becoming more active and accomplished---Scripture teaches that we already love ourselves (Matthew 22:39; Ephesians 5:28,29), and some of the most active and successful people in the eyes of men are people who are extremely insecure and threatened. What then is the answer? As in so many things, the answer lies in our understanding the Truth God has given about us; this will have a liberating effect to eliminate more and more what insecurity and inferiority we may have (John 8:32); this will help us admit to our mistakes and sins; this will liberate us from the oppression we sometimes sense in the opinions others have toward us. We must learn the truth about ourselves as God teaches it; we must learn to live with ourselves the way God wants us to.
In Who am I?, I present to you some facts regarding the Christian; facts to which you must constantly return throughout your life, to master some of the problems which have been mentioned; facts about which I hope you will pray, Lord, help me to know this not simply as a fact, but as a Truth from You, to be appreciated in my heart and acted upon in my life, as much as I possibly can.
©2005 K. W. "Pete" Hurst, Hampton, Virginia |
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