April 16 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

Do you have times when you feel very low and insignificant? Perhaps you have moments in your life when you think everyone else is better than you are. You may have experienced constant bullying so that you don’t have a very high view of yourself. Maybe you worry what your peers think of you. They may reject, ridicule or ignore you. They may withhold from you the acceptance, care or love you want and expect from them.

Many times we feel lousy because we are afraid that we do not meet the expectations of others. For most of us feelings of insignificance come and go. For some, these thoughts just don't go away; they begin to haunt them. Is there any help available? The solution seems to be rather straightforward: we may need to have some form of counselling to analyse what is causing us to feel insignificant. Indeed, many would suggest that we need to take hold of our inner self. “Have a winning attitude. Pursue with passion the desires and energies within you that will assist you in reaching your full potential.”

As pleasant as such advice may sound, it is deceptive in whatever area it is applied: religion, psychology, politics, business, financial planning, education and sports. By nature every human being is born with a sinful heart that needs to be reshaped and reformed by the Spirit of Christ.

From a Christian perspective feelings of insignificance can and must be dealt with in faith. We should never stand in fear of what others may think of us. The Lord does not let us despair but gives us clear direction. In Proverbs 29:25 He reminds us, “The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.” Even though we may feel worthless at times, the Lord knows us (Psalm 139:1). We are not worthy of anything in ourselves, but we have been made worthy through Jesus Christ. We receive a new status in Him. We don’t need to feel ‘lousy’ because we are surrounded by God’s everlasting arms. The Lord does not place us in this world to compete or compare. We are to live for Him, using our time and talents for His honour and to His praise. When we keep this in mind as the goal and purpose of our life, we come to realize there is nothing senseless or useless about who we are or what we do.