Here’s a little message for anyone who has ever had a problem with low self-esteem. I consider myself a bit of an authority on this subject because I’ve had a few battles with it over the years. However, something that has really helped me to overcome this particular mindset is the realisation that low self-esteem is an insult to God. The following thoughts will illustrate my point.
There have been a lot of interesting developments in car engines over the past century. Engineers are always trying to come up with ideas for more efficient engines, which use little or no petrol. There have been numerous attempts to produce a car with an electric motor powered by batteries. Unfortunately, most of the prototypes produced so far don’t have satisfactory performance, and can’t travel far before the batteries need recharging.
Obviously, if someone can produce an engine which will perform as efficiently as a modern petrol engine, and cost next to nothing to operate, he will become a billionaire overnight.
Imagine the following extreme scenario. A man designs an engine, which is nothing more than a sealed cylinder with a drive shaft coming out of one end. Inside the cylinder is a particular fluid. No one but the engineer knows the chemical composition of the fluid, but when the current from a typical twelve-volt car battery is applied to two specific locations on the cylinder, the fluid spins and turns the drive shaft. The overall result is that this engine has similar power to the most efficient petrol engines on the market today. But there’s more. The engine drives a generator, which keeps the battery charged. It is the ultimate answer to cost effective motoring.
Of course the person who designs a thing like this isn’t going to tell anyone how it works. So what do you think such an engine would be worth?
Perhaps a billion dollars? More likely it would be worth whatever the designer asked.
By now you’re probably saying to yourself, “Well, that’s a rather unrealistic scenario. No one is ever going to produce an engine like that.”
Well, let me tell you about something that has already been invented, which would appear equally incredible.
This invention happens to be a computer. It is far more advanced than any other computer that has ever been designed. It can store infinite volumes of information over a period of about a hundred years. It requires no keyboard and can retrieve files in response to thought processes of the operator. It performs problem-solving tasks that no other computer is capable of. It contains no printed circuits or silicon chips. Also, it requires no outside energy source to operate, and can respond to the processes taking place in similar computers without being connected to them in any way.
Even more remarkable is the fact that it consists of nothing more than about two handfuls of meat.
A really smart man designed it, and he’s not going to tell anyone how it works. Scientists have a few clues on some aspects of its operation. But even after centuries of dissecting it, and analysing its chemical composition, they still only have limited understanding of this computer.
How much do you think such a computer would be valued at?
Because nobody has ever been able to match it, it would have to be worth billions of dollars.
Obviously I’m talking about the human brain.
We often hear people talk about various career opportunities, referring to the benefits that come with the job. For many people, one of the most appealing benefits they could imagine being associated with a particular position is the provision of a car, which is available for their personal use as well as for work.
How much more excited should someone be about having the personal use of a billion-dollar computer?
Well, we’ve all been issued with one of these at birth.
If we can keep ourselves reminded of the unlimited potential we have to achieve enormous outcomes through the use of this gift, we would never be able to justify any state of low self-esteem.
If the manager of a company provided one of his sales staff with a $200,000 Mercedes Benz, then surely that salesman would acknowledge that there would be high expectations associated with this particular condition of employment.
So what level of obligation should we have to someone who provides us with a billion-dollar computer? I’m reminded at this point of Jesus saying something like, “Of him to whom much has been given, much will be expected.” He probably wasn’t talking about brains at the time, but the statement could probably be safely generalised to that extent.
Simply acknowledging that we have been given one of these highly expensive items should help people to turn the focus of their thoughts away from their self-assessed inadequacies, and refocus on their unlimited potential.
Next time you find yourself up to your ears in despair and self-pity, imagine Jesus coming along and sitting beside you. He gives you a friendly wack behind the ear to get your attention and then says, “Listen buddy, it’s time to climb out of this little hole. Just remember that Dad gave each of us a billion-dollar computer. If you use it properly, there’s no problem too big for you. Also he can tell you all the right data and questions to feed into it, to get it to produce all the information you need to enable you to contribute in a big way to the well being of mankind and also to enjoy life in all its fullness.”
So there it is. The ball is in our court.