When Feeling Like We Can’t Cut It

by Hal Brady
 
A tall, good-looking young man came to a minister’s study one day to talk. The young man obviously had a lot to live for, but he had a troubled outlook. He had just taken a series of tests for admission to college and the results had not been encouraging. “They tell me,” he said. “I just can’t cut it.”

Now, I would dare say that this young man was speaking for a number of us within the sight of these words. Sometimes we feel that we just can’t cut it. We simply do not have a high enough opinion of ourselves. And, unfortunately, this attitude causes us to run from ourselves, keeps us from loving God and others, and torpedoes our living life at its best. 

Low self-esteem especially hurts our relationships! It keeps us isolated from one another. When our major concern is with our own inadequacy, we live to ourselves. We are afraid to venture out in relationships - afraid of rejection, afraid of failure, afraid of comparison. I remember in high school the great difficulty I had in talking with a girl I liked over the phone. I would make the call and struggle for the appropriate words. “Hello,” she would answer. I would reply, “This is Hal, Hal Brady.” I would always hate having to say that twice. And then tongue-tied silence! 

When Jesus was asked about the great commandment, he answered this way, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). When we first read these verses, we are so overpowered with “loving God” and “loving neighbor” that we almost overlook the key ingredient to the entire process: the words “as yourself.” It all begins here. If we truly love God and our neighbor, we must love ourselves. So how do we come to love ourselves and overcome our inferiority or inadequacy? Well, it probably won’t happen overnight; but it can happen. 

First, we can remember that it’s God’s estimate of us that counts! An advertisement in a national magazine was sponsored by the Humane Society. Of course, the purpose of the ad was to interest people in adopting homeless pets. The ad featured a full-page color picture of a puppy and a kitten. As an emotional appeal, it accomplished its goal. But it was the sentence at the top of the page that was and is so crucial. The sentence reads, “It’s who owns them that makes them important.” That’s also true especially as it relates to our feelings of inferiority. It’s who owns us that makes us important.

Second, we can remember our uniqueness! While I lived in Dallas, Texas, I attended a banquet honoring the great Texas Ranger pitcher Nolan Ryan. What a great pitcher, and, even more, what a great hero for modern culture. The man who introduced him said, “What makes Nolan Ryan unique is that he’s one of a kind created by the very hand of God.” And that’s also true of you and me. That’s the reason we don’t have to compare ourselves with anybody else, because we are all one of a kind. In reality, there’s nothing to compare. 

Third, we can love ourselves by making up our mind to be somebody! William James taught that the greatest discovery of his life was that people can alter their lives by altering their attitudes. 

In closing, I like the story of the lady who met a little boy and asked his name. He replied, “My name is George Washington.” “I hope that you grow up to be like George Washington,” the lady said. “I cannot help being like George Washington because that is who I am,” was the little boy’s reply. By God’s grace, we can be somebody. “Love God and your neighbor AS YOURSELF.”
 
Dr. Hal Brady is a retired pastor who continues to present the Good News of Jesus Christ and offer encouragement in a fresh and vital way though Hal Brady Ministries (halbradyministries.com).