Feeling Inferior to Others — Morning Devotions

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Transcript

Back in 1994, the popular movie Forrest Gump with Tom Hanks was released. It was a great movie. I guess you’ve seen it. One of the other notable actors was Sally Field, who herself had won many awards for her outstanding performances through the years. She’s won two Academy Awards, and Sally Field started acting at 16. But I am interested to know something of Sally Field’s personal life.

All was not well for the young Sally Field. She had a turbulent upbringing starting when her mother divorced and she was only 4 years old. And during her childhood and teenage years, she endured psychological and verbal abuse from her stepfather. Sally Field released her memoir titled In Pieces in 2018, where she shared personal stories and experiences from her life and career.

It’s a painful story of pain and violence as a shy young girl. In 1985 at her Academy Awards speech, she told the stunned audience, I can’t deny the fact that you like me right now. You really do like me. Most of my life I’ve lived in a fog. Sally Fields felt that she was ugly. She didn’t have the required talents to win her such a prestigious award as an A-class movie star, but she was respected and honoured by her peers despite her shock and surprise at the award.

It’s incredible to me that so many gifted people in whatever areas of life have had or are having issues with a low level of self-esteem.

Stress and difficulties in life can often have a negative effect on how we view ourselves, and it has a flow-on effect that means we can’t adequately face the challenges that life throws at us. Unfortunately, our society today is obsessed with self-image.

And we hear the words like self-image, self-worth, self-confidence, and self-respect. The late Doctor James Dobson once took a survey of women and found the number one source of depression among them was low self-esteem. Other studies show that, generally speaking, women suffer more from low self-esteem than men.

So what is it?

Low self-esteem is the inability to feel good about yourself, and instead you could feel inadequate, worthless, inferior, and have low self-confidence. I’ve been a failure all my life, you say. I suppose I’ll always be a failure. We cut ourselves off from other people, even though we might post selfies on Facebook to get others’ attention.

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We forget how destructive and harmful this is because a low self-image affects every area of our personal lives, including our relationship with God. The Bible does not use the modern terms of self-esteem or self-worth explicitly, but they do speak about human dignity and value in God’s eyes.

The Bible teaches us that our true worth comes from not our own accomplishments or the opinions of others but from our identity as people created in the image of God.

In the very first chapter of Genesis in the Bible, we read that God created human beings in his own likeness.

He created them to be like himself. Genesis 1:27. This fundamental truth establishes the inherent dignity and value of every human person. We are not accidents or afterthoughts in God’s creation, but actually we’re the crowning glory of His handiwork. Even if you’re not as smart or as strong as others, God created you as a special person whom He loves. Many years ago, the apostle Paul said, By the grace of God, I am what I am.

This amazing man who at one stage of his life was a self-righteous and proud Pharisee persecuting Christians felt so ashamed and unworthy. But Jesus Christ interrupted his life and changed his life. He was so different to the other apostles they mistrusted him and doubted his motives for a period. Was he really one of us, or was this just a trick?

I suggest you take this verse that I’ve quoted from 1 Corinthians 15:10 and make it your own. By the grace of God I am what I am. It’s a good attitude for anyone. You remember. God is love, that He is comfortable with you, your feelings, your fears, and moments of happiness. You can be free to be yourself and seek God’s blessing and involvement in your life every day. You’re worthy and you’re valued in the sight of God.

Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father, this morning we sometimes feel inadequate that we’re not as good as others, and therefore our story is not as important as others. Lord, help me then to get that thinking out of the way because your word tells me that I am valuable and that I am loved.

Thank you, Lord, that I don’t have to have low self-esteem. I can be your child and you can be my father, and I thank you for all this wonderful news in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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