For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. ~ Jeremiah 29:11
Despite a lifetime of bold and larger than life dreams, I am very aware that I perpetuate a prevailing narrative that is riddled with self-loathing, doubt and a self image that is truly quite the opposite. In actuality, I’ve always put myself in the role of the underdog (which may be why I often am one of those who is rooting for underdogs to rise above). However, rarely have I been the underdog that “shocks the world” and I honestly could not handle it if I were.
The moment a spotlight gets anywhere near me, I call myself undeserving. I begin to look around for an exit and formulate the strategy that gets me out of there as quickly as possible. Why? Because I feel unworthy, inadequate and irrelevant.
As I ponder this, I am reminded of one of my favorite books, Generation X. The author of this book, Douglas Coupland once remarked told the Boston Globe that…
I just want to show society what people born after 1960 think about things… We’re sick of stupid labels, we’re sick of being marginalized in lousy jobs, and we’re tired of hearing about ourselves from others.
In the book, the characters intentionally withdraw from popular society, loathe their “McJobs” and ordinary life. They seek acceptance for how they are, not what the world wants them to be. What I ultimately realized is that we all seek relevance, an ability to fit into a bigger picture and to achieve a sense of personal belonging.
We don’t necessarily want to stand out from the crowd, but we do want to feel accepted. To have meaning. To know we are significant.
And that’s why I turn to this passage from Jeremiah. Today was not a great day. Been a rough couple in fact. There are some days that I feel pinched into meaninglessness. But I need to be mindful that I am here for a reason. A servant of God. To Him, I standout – whether I seek to be or not. He accepts me just as I am and believes me to be relevant.
To Him, I belong. And to Him, be all Glory.
Do you have passages that you retreat to when you have similar feelings or there are moments in life when you feel less than adequate? Please share them. I’d love to hear.