Five Negative and Harmful Emotionsনমুনা

Inferiority

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Ephesians 1:4-6 explains to us who we really are and why God made us: He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

All people suffer from insecurity. None of us are exempt from it—even the most confident among us. Hidden in the dark crevices of our hearts, there is insecurity. It is coming out of the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve sinned. They felt shame. They immediately knew something was wrong. They tried to cover up their nakedness because they knew they had done wrong. They became insecure.

Feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, rejection, and loneliness strengthen insecurity. It comes through experiences of failure if we do not reach our goals or do not see the fulfilment of our dreams. It occurs when we compare ourselves with others and make them the standard of success. Jealousy, self-pity, and envy are the companions of inferiority.

Inferiority leads to chronic self-doubt, low self-esteem, and withdrawing socially. Other people may respond with bragging, becoming very competitive, and suffering from an inability to admit mistakes.

How do we overcome insecurity? Insecurity must be recognised, and we must take a stand against it. Victory comes when we begin to see Jesus - His unconditional love and the depth of His love for us. We must stop comparing ourselves with others – realising that our worth does not lie in our performance, position, or how people see us. We are not worthy because of what we have done but what has been done for us. On the cross, Jesus demonstrated to us how valuable we are.

We must make a deliberate decision to accept ourselves as God made us. We must understand that God didn’t make a mistake when He created us. God does not “produce cheaper models that cost less” All of us are the “product” of the Universe’s Master Designer (Psalm 139:13-17).