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FEATURES |
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NO LONGER
A GRASSHOPPER!
By Bright Sam |
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It is very difficult to
work with certain people, because they are very easily
offended. Some persons quickly give new meanings to very
casual talk of others. They have a feeling that all
around them are talking about them. They are too much
self conscious. Rather self is the centre of their
universe. The frog in the narrow well considers the well
as the whole universe, and him to be the king of the
universe. Some people are no different. Their vision of
the world is so narrow that they get easily cowered down
when they meet any other person. If they see anyone with
more education, charm or stature they feel threatened.
Like the frog in the well, they are comfortable within
their circle. But when and if they happen to go out and
see the wide world, they feel inferior and insecure.
Somehow they have an idea that one has to order around
the control others in order to feel important or even
survive. So when they see the big wide world, they just
focus on their self and search for some stuff to match
the immensity around them. Appalled at the fact that
nothing is there within their self to match others
around them, they are devastated. They respond in two
ways. Some people would simply give up; withdraw to
themselves like a tortoise. Others try to find out ways
and means to show that others around them are inferior
to them.
Yes! You guessed right. Most people around us suffer
from inferiority complex. Or are you one among them? It
is true that an average individual is inferior to half
the people in the world. He doesn’t need to be sorry
about that or give any excuses. Nor he has to be at the
top to lead a normal healthy life. Even people at the so
called lower levels can lead good lives at their levels.
Perhaps the society may not give much value to a person
at the lower level. But know that the society doesn’t
give any value to a person at the so called highest
level also. People only ‘show’ respect to the persons
with money, power and fame for vested interests. But at
their back the society conspires to rob them and topple
them from their pedestals. So whether you are a pauper
or a prince the society is ready with the traps and
stones to cast you down. So don’t worry about the
society. Some people are living according to the
opinions of the society, because they think that
otherwise they will not be ‘accepted’. Whatever they do
they will be more concerned about what others will say,
what the society will think. Such people are miserable,
and live for the sake of society. They have no
individuality and no originality. They just live to
please the whims and fancies of some rich fools who set
trends in the society. A person who has no individuality
and originality, and is merely imitating others is like
a dead fish in a stream. How miserable such persons are!
Actually some persons cannot equal or exceed in stature
some others with superior intellect. When they look
inside them, what they have there is really inferior,
and insufficient to match the ‘superior’ people. But why
should the so called inferior people give any excuses.
As I mentioned earlier, they depend on themselves. That
is they are self centred, and easily find that their
self is no match. But how can a person overcome
inferiority complex, self consciousness and even self
centeredness? It may not be possible by self efforts.
But a Christian need not feel inferior to anyone. There
is no logic for a Christian to have inferiority complex.
A Christian is, in principle, not self centred; he is
Christ centred. And Christ is all sufficient. When he
looks inside, he sees Christ with His highest authority
and ability. He can say with Paul, “I can do everything
through Christ who gives me strength” (Philippians
4:13). So he is not cowered down by what he sees or some
great persons he meets in the wide world. Because his
sufficiency comes from Christ, and he can face any
challenge through Christ. A Christian need not consider
himself a grasshopper and others like giants because
simply that is not true. The story of the twelve spies
is well known. Moses sent twelve spies to explore the
land of Canaan, one each from every tribe. After their
exploration, they all returned with a load of fruits
from Canaan, proving the claim that the land was indeed
flowing with milk and honey. But except the two men of
faith – Joshua and Caleb – all ten spies were unanimous
in reporting that the task in front of them was
impossible. “But the people who live there are powerful,
and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw
the descendants of Anak there.” (Numbers 13:28). The
people were disheartened by the report, and the
Israelites were distressed and declared a period of
state mourning.
But Caleb silenced the people and tried to encourage
them: “We should go up and take possession of the land,
for we can certainly do it.” Up to now things were under
control. But inferiority complex takes hold of the ten
spies. “But the men who had gone up with him said, “We
can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we
are.” And they spread among the Israelites a bad report
about the land they had explored. They said, “The land
we explored devours those living in it. All the people
we saw there are of great size. “We saw the Nephilim
there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim).
We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we
looked the same to them.” (13:33). The ability to judge
things correctly in their right perspective was lost to
these ten spies because of inferiority complex. There
was no proof that the land devoured those living in it,
only that the people appeared to be of great size.
Actually what happened was, they looked inside them and
saw grasshoppers. But certainly they were not seen by
the inhabitants as grasshoppers. It was only their
imagination tainted because of inferiority complex. The
result was devastating. The next verse tells that all
Israelites wailed and wept loudly the whole night. They
cursed Moses and wanted to go back to Egypt. God was
angry. Moses and Aaron fell down before God pleading for
the people. But God caused all of them, except Joshua
and Caleb, to die out in the desert, because they did
not believe in the all sufficient God who was with them
and was leading them.
This is the most important fact a Christian should
always keep in mind. The Spirit of the Almighty God is
in him, and he is actually superior to anyone in the
world. The Apostle John tells us, “You dear children,
are from God and have overcome them, because the one who
is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
(1 John 4:4). So a Christian should never respond in the
way the ten spies of the Israelites did. Nor he should
respond by slandering, gossiping or spreading lies about
others. You are in no way inferior, because Christ
sacrificed His life on the cross to redeem you from your
worthless and inferior life. You need not feel ashamed
about you or your position in the society. Paul says in
2 Corinthians 15:10: “But by the grace of God I am what
I am, ..” You are a unique creation. You need not
conform to the society to get acceptance. You live as an
individual with your unique qualities. You don’t need
the society’s approval. When Christ is inside you, you
are superior, and you neednot strive to show others
down. People try to show others down so that they can
appear more virtuous than others. “Holier than thou”
attitude is very common among Christians. They have a
very low opinion about themselves. So if they want to
appear superior, they should show others even more
inferior by slandering them.
What is the remedy? Sometimes I think that to have no
inferiority complex is a gift of God. But there is
remedy in Christ. Only Christ can help you to take away
your focus from yourself to Him. Only He can cure your
self-centredness. Only He can pull you out of your well,
and broaden your vision to include the whole world. Only
Christ can remove your self-consciousness and put you on
track to Christ consciousness. Then only you can be at
ease with whatever challenges you face. Only Christ will
help you accept others, whether they appear superior or
inferior, with equal respect. When Christ is inside you
with all sufficiency then you need not feel threatened
in the presence of any one. So you will not slander
others, or spread gossips. When Christ is inside you,
you need not conform to the society to get acceptance.
You are already accepted by the Lord of the universe.
What else you want? According to Paul, a Christian lives
the life for Christ. “I have been crucified with Christ
and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”
(Galatians 2:20). A Christian need not present any
excuse for himself. He need not defend anything. He need
not prove anything. He need not pretend to be or present
himself as someone else. Whatever he is is because of
the grace of God. So he need not order around or control
others to prove his worth. He is so worthy in the sight
of God because he has been bought with the most precious
blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.
A life of Christ-centeredness is the only remedy that
can remove self consciousness and self-centredness. It
is the only remedy against inferiority complex.
Christians who suffer from inferiority complex should
reassure themselves of the fact that Christ died for
them on the cross, and bought them with His precious
blood. The Son of God was ready to pay the greatest
price for you. Surely you are not at all inferior to
anyone. Secondly, as Paul says, you are now no longer
living, but Christ is living in you. So your self need
not prove that it is superior, because Christ is living
in you, and He is immensely superior to any being in the
universe. And there is no question of showing others
inferior to you, because actually they need your
sympathy, love and affection just like Christ would do.
Even if you suspect that others around you are gossiping
about you, you need not worry because you are not
inferior in any way, and you have nothing to defend.
Whatever is there in your life is there, and you need
not give any excuses for that. When Christ is living in
you the society usually will not accept you. But that is
no problem, because the King of kings and the Lord of
lords has accepted you. No one else needs to accept you.
You continue to live your original life in Christ and
the society will learn to live from you. Even if people
slander against you, when you meet that with love and
compassion, their mouths will be shut. When you are
living in Christ, there is no question of being
offended. You will be eager to forgive others for
whatever they have done to you. And whatever they say,
you will only interpret positively, and will not
attribute other meanings to it, even if they mean it.
These will be the marks of a strong Christian life
rooted in Christ and His Word. There is no reason for
any Christian to have inferiority complex. Good bye
inferiority complex. We are more than conquerors through
Christ who strengthens us!
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This page
is updated on Sep 18, 2009 |
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PRAISE THE ALMIGHTY
10 YEARS CELEBRATION
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