Conquering feelings of unworthiness

The Prodigal son had feelings of unworthiness in his heart all along. What the heart is full of, the mouth speaks. When he returned to his father’s house he said, ‘I am not worthy…’ A feeling of unworthiness robs us of our blessing. Unworthiness spoils our success. Unworthiness keeps us from enjoying our best achievements. We are just never good enough in our own eyes.

Jonny WIlkenson the great English fly half that won the world cup for England in Australia with that brilliant, memorable drop-kick, confessed that he never allowed himself to enjoy the victories, but just went on practicing like a machine. He wrote a book later in his life encouraging young footballers to learn to take time off to go to the beach, or to play some music or do something they enjoy instead of just practicing, practicing, practicing.

I dreamt that I put my arm around one of our church members and gave him a hug and told him that he should enjoy the benefits of his labors. I also saw my oldest son, Aje, drive a brand new car in a dream and told him he deserves it.

Perhaps your parents or teachers told you that you are not worthy of success. Perhaps your peers made you feel useless and hopeless. But today I have good news for you: Jesus Christ died to make you worthy before God. If you believe in Him and accept His sacrifice for you on the cross of Calvary, you can stand in the presence of the most High God without any feelings of inferiority or insecurity. This is what the righteousness by faith will do for you.

Luke 15:12-19 tells the story of the Prodigal Son. There are some lessons we can learn from the parable of the Prodigal Son that will help us to defeat our feeling of unworthiness.

Tiger Woods has recently confessed to infidelity and the world has been wondering how someone so successful could fall prone to something like that. The psychologists describe a paradise syndrome which explains it. People feel unworthy of the fame, wealth and success they have achieved and in a sense want to tarnish their reputation in order to justify themselves.

The Prodigal son could not enjoy all his privileges in his father’s house so he asked for his portion and left to spend it in a wasteful manner. He ended up in a pig sty eating the food of pigs. That’s where we end up when we leave our Heavenly Father’s house, the church! The thing the world has to offer is like pig’s food!

What the Prodigal Son forgot was the fact that he was his father’s son. He had to come to a full realization of his sonship again. Only when he came to himself in the pig sty did he remember what it was like in his father’s house. The servants in his father’s house had more food and privileges than what he experienced away from home.

He had to learn to appreciate what the father had to offer. When we despise our father’s provision and his care, we loose perspective. Many times we want more than what has been provided and we become so self-centered that we demand what is ‘rightfully’ ours to go and waste it on worthless things.

To as many as received him he gave the power to become sons of the living God, to as many as believed on his Name (John 1:12).

Learn to feed on the heavenly Manna, the word of God. The church is the place where you receive food that is convenient for your spirit. If you neglect your spirit man, your soul and your body will suffer. Your spirit man needs to be built up, fed and exercised, just as your natural body does. When people forget this aspect of living they pay the consequences.

The Prodigal Son had to come to repentance and then he had to get up and return to his father’s house. Yes, he was not worthy now, but his father made him worthy by giving him new clothes, a new ring, new shoes and organized a great feast to celebrate his return. He was dead, in a sense, to his father, but now he was alive again.

Sin kills our relationship with God our Heavenly Father. But whoever confesses his sin is forgiven for Christ’s sake and the Lord cleanses him from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9).

The Prodigal Son’s father gave him back his self-worth. He regained his self respect again.

The book of Proverbs declares that a merry heart is like good medicine but a broken spirit is hard to bear. Perhaps your spirit has been broken. Perhaps you have strayed away from your heavenly father. Perhaps you have left the church and perhaps you have had your reasons for doing so. But today the Spirit of the Living God is prompting you to get up out of your desperate situation and He reminds you that there is sufficient supply and provision in your father’s house.

My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

Romans 8:18 promises us that this present suffering does not weigh up to the eternal weight of glory that is to be revealed.

In Zechariah 3 the Lord takes Joshua the high priest when Satan accuses him before God and the Lord rebukes Satan and commands that Joshua’s filthy garments be removed and that he should be clothed with a new garment and a new mitre be placed on his head. Then the Lord commands him: if you will walk in my commandments and obey my statutes you shall govern my house