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Grasshoppers and You

And there we saw the giants ... and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. (Numbers 13:33)

Ever felt like a grasshopper?

Grasshoppers and you may not have very much in common, but have you ever felt like one? A grasshopper, that is?

Unimportant. Worthless. Low-down. Inferior.

At least, that's how I think grasshoppers feel anyway.

Well, the twelve tribes of Israel felt that way when Moses sent some to go spy out the Promised Land.

The truth is that those on the other side did not really see them as grasshoppers. And this remains today the double deception of the inferiority complex.

The man or woman who trusts in themselves sooner or later feels like a grasshopper in their own sight and thinks everybody else feels the very same way about them also. As long as circumstances are alright, things may seem okay, but when life tumbles in, they crawl. The confidence they have is self-confidence, and in the pinches, that’s sheer delusion.

Our feelings of inferiority sometimes are there because of negative criticism or "labeling" from the past. It may even have happened to you.

Here are a couple of examples.

Just when a child is ready to venture into some new and exciting facet of life, Mom or Dad or aunt or uncle or teacher or someone with an authoritative voice will say with a laugh, "Poor little darling, she's just like me; can't carry a tune in a bushel basket." Or, "He’s just like me – terrified of speaking in public." Or something like this, "Artistic skills just never did run in our family." Or, "We're not the studious type."

Some of us have been labeled so early, categorized so often, forced to conform to a certain standard or to a certain mold so many times, that we now see only the labels when we see ourselves in the mirror. Rather than looking closely, rather than searching our hearts and questioning our true feelings, rather than opening up our real inner selves, we just keep going along with the expectations of others – with what others talk about – with what others want out of us.

But nobody has a right to label you or to pigeonhole you according to values which you don't accept. Not even your parents, your friends, your spouse, your church.

Besides, not any of the labels you have adopted and worn are necessarily real. You can change the label when and if you choose. You can change paths, if you choose. You can turn around, do a complete about-face, adopt a new goal. It all depends upon you.

A friend of mine has a tremendous imagination. He's a natural storyteller and while in grade school he used to entertain his entire class with oral presentations of Tom Sawyer. He knew Mark Twain's book by chapters. Somewhere along the line, however, a school teacher told him that his spelling was terrible. My friend accepted that label. For years, although he felt inspired to write, he never did because he saw himself as a poor speller. Finally, he looked in the mirror and saw the real truth. He rejected the label and picked up a dictionary and started writing. Today, his short stories and articles have appeared in dozens of magazines and he takes great pleasure in creative writing.

If you don't like the "labeling" that's been done to you in the past, get to work to create the kind of "you" with whom you feel comfortable – and good.

We can learn some valuable lessons from looking into that mirror which is called "life." Let's remember these five things we can learn:

1) Don't look merely at your defects and don't accept the lie that you are what you are only because of heredity. Such as "you're a potential alcoholic because your dad was a drunk." Or, "you're going to commit suicide because a member of your family committed suicide." Don't YOU buy it! You have a choice. Reject the labeling and wrong perceptions of others.

2) Don't blame other people and other things for what you are. Face up to the result of your own choices. Correct the wrong ones if you can, and live with the good ones in faith.

3) Don't accept all those labels as fact. What others say about you isn't nearly as important as what YOU say or think about yourself.

4) Don't live in an imaginary world, under an illusory cloud, dreaming and fantasizing your days away. You have some REAL living to do, some REAL decisions to make, some REAL battles to fight and some REAL victories to win! Living victoriously is REAL! Living joyfully is REAL! Jesus Christ is REAL and will help you at the point in your life when you need Him most!

5) Don't sell yourself short. See your REAL self, created in the image of God and blest with all the attributes and all the talents necessary for a full and happy and productive life.

CONCLUSION

You are God's workmanship. Separate. Unique. You are wondrously and gloriously made. You are incomparable! When God made you, He made someone of REAL value – someone of REAL worth!

No need for you to feel like a grasshopper. Inferior. Worthless.

No need ever again.

Ever!

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Feedback

Excellent article! Everyone has a gift that can project the path or destiny of another person. God created us in His image. We reflect His power, might and creativity.

Reverend Marc Campbell
N. Charleston, South Carolina

A mutual friend forwarded your feature article on “Grasshoppers and You” and I am so glad she did! It was exactly what I needed and exactly when I needed it!

Melody Livingston
Christ Church, New Zealand

Please permit me to share a recurring experience with an angel. It began in 1975 while attending Lee College. My encounters with this angel has blessed me numerous times and in various ways. His ministry has built bridges of cooperation between people of all races and denominational persuasions. At times, this angel has personally spoken to me words of encouragement when I had need. In the early 1990s, this angel literally opened a mighty door of evangelism for me on the far side of the globe, where I introduced the Gospel of Jesus Christ to unbelievers. In an unselfish manner, this angel invested in me and furnished a platform for my ministry. Don’t think it strange when I say, I know this angel’s name. It is Carl Richardson – a man with the ministry of an angel!

Pastor Robert D. (Chip) Pace
Huntsville, Alabama

I love to get your newsletter. I think your comments are great! Keep up the good work.

R. Stephens
Cookeville, Tennessee

Your comments on “labeling” in your blog, “Grasshoppers and You” profoundly touched me and helped me. It’s wonderful how the Lord brought a word of revelation knowledge to me in such a marvelous way through your article!

Rosa Camacho
Denver, Colorado

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