Feelings Of Unworthiness Do Not Come From God

“All that the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out.” (John 6:37)

Now that’s a promise from the Lord that we should never forget. Think about it. Once we come to know the Lord as our personal savior, we enter into a relationship through which we can count on him, no matter what! Easier said than done, huh?

For the last several years, I’ve felt a call on my life. In a way, it’s exciting as most things are that come from the Lord. You’re never quite sure of where it’s taking you. Yet, you somehow know that in spite of what the “call” may be, the Lord has an adventure in store for you.

Then again, it’s quite a scary time. It requires that you reach out in faith and trust what your heart is telling you. You can’t make sense out of it, at least not the way the world seeks to confirm whether the feelings we have about something are correct. No, in these matters, the spirit has to overcome the flesh. The reason it’s so hard for us is we’re not accustomed to making decisions in the spirit. In other words, we don’t often trust what the flesh can’t understand. I guess that’s why we call it human nature.

Interestingly, when the Lord calls you to do something, he doesn’t go away. He continues to remind you, day after day, that you’re not listening to what he’s trying to tell you. The Bible says it this way: “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” (Romans 11:29)

In my case, I decided to pray about it. I basically asked the Lord to help me understand what he has been trying to tell me. “I’m pretty dumb,” I confided. “Help me understand what you’re trying to say here.”

That very night, I had a dream. I was being held down by a man I couldn’t recognize. Every time I tried to get a good look at him, he would turn away or push my head down so I couldn’t see. Finally, I realized who he was. “You’re the devil,” I said. I then pleaded the blood of Jesus and commanded him to leave after which I immediately woke up.

I hate waking up in the middle of a dream and finding myself unable to go back to it when I return to sleep. But even though dream was gone, understanding the meaning of it nagged me for days. I finally realized what I believe was the first milestone the Lord wanted me to reach as he began to help me understand what’s going on.

The strange irony of becoming a Christian is we realize how unworthy we really are of the salvation we enjoy. Our pass to heaven comes through, and only through, the redemptive work of Jesus. What a relief to know that there’s nothing we can do, or ever do, to measure up to the favor that we have received. However, the devil uses that realization to convince us that we are also not worthy enough to serve God in the ways he calls us to serve him. It’s a lie that haunts a lot of Christians, including me.

The point of my dream was to realize who the accuser is, and to remind me that the doubts I have about my worthiness are not coming from the Lord. Satan will try and take the grace that we have received and convince us that we will never measure up in anything we do. The truth is the Lord doesn’t call us for what are able to do. He calls us for what he knows we should be available to do. The Bible offers some great advice to those of us who struggle with feelings of unworthiness: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)