DON'T BEAT YOURSELF UP KID

1958

When I was fifteen I got this thing in my head that I was the only one in the family who could take care of everybody.  I felt that I had to take care of my parents, my three brothers, and my sister.  It was up to me to do something great so that I could help my family. I had no talent or abilities that were outstanding.  So this thought was overwhelming to me. I had placed on myself an impossible task.  

 What I didn't know at the time was that I was proud.  I thought too highly of myself.  I was taught in my family we wanted to be humble.  We believed that bragging was wrong.  Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."  We wanted to be meek.  Unfortunately some of us went about it in the wrong way.  Instead of bragging we would put ourselves down.  Our family friend, Nan, said, "Don't put yourself down kid.  Everybody else will do it for you." 

This led me to the conclusion that either bragging or putting your self down is actually pride-- conceit or inordinate self esteem.  When we call attention to ourselves, or are self involved, this is pointing to ourselves in a prideful way.  Instead we should look to God to help us.  

Then after studying the Bible for many years God opened  I Corinthians 1: 26- 31 up to me:

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards,[c] not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being[d] might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him[e] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 

So it wasn't up to me to do something great--it was just necessary to be open to what God would have me to do.  He would use me in some way even if I had no talents.

Those who believe and trust in Jesus have self esteem because we can trust God completely to do His work in us.  We can forget about ourselves and keep our eyes on Jesus.