"Whatever I do, I'm an outsider. Day by day I confirm the fact that nobody likes me, nobody needs me, I feel miserable among people who sky rocketed in their careers, got smiling families and colleagues respecting them. I can no longer stand these happy faces around us in the world that I do not fit in..." - Does this feeling seem familiar to you?
You are not alone. There are millions of us, just like you. Many of us do not belong to this world.
As die wêreld julle haat, moet julle weet dat hy My voor julle gehaat het. As julle van die wêreld was, sou die wêreld sy eiendom liefhê. Maar omdat julle nie van die wêreld is nie, maar Ek julle uit die wêreld uitverkies het, daarom haat die wêreld julle.( Johannes 15:18-19 )
What does this world offer to us? Feeling important and special, ability to earn money, buy a car and a big house? Receive praise from your friends confirming your acceptance and special status among them? Or it's a feeling of being better than others? Maybe enjoyment of being served by other people? Or, it's just all these gadgets your can buy and play with? Or the world's offer is an employment in a big company where you can be helping other people build their career, show your grace by promoting your direct reports or helping them with their technical challenges? Flying in first class and driving in business conferences? Publishing pictures of yourself in expensive restaurants on social networks?
That’s amazing, right? Who would not want that? Yes, indeed, let’s be honest and not deny it - it sounds attractive! However, sooner or later we will understand that none of the offers of this world will fill in the emptiness and loneliness inside of us. Then we’ll feel fooled by following the world, following the lust of that fake treasure for years and only now realizing that the praise from the friends that seemed to valuable to us all that time is nothing more than just a masked envy and hatred.
When Jesus came down to Earth and offered the freedom to people, many of them believed him, but nobody dared to acknowledge it publicly,
Want hulle het die eer van die mense meer liefgehad as die eer van God.( Johannes 12:43 )
Here we are, bound to the human praise and acceptance. Free birds bound to a golden cage. A fish attracted to a lure. Bound by a fear of other's opinion...
Die vrees vir die mens span 'n strik; maar hy wat op die HERE vertrou, sal beskut word.( Spreuke 29:25 )
Yes, we do not have to try to fit into this world. We do not have to follow the desire for the values of this world, straining our souls and draining our hearts. Like plastic jewelry won’t be any match to the real genuine diamond, offers of this world will never fill the emptiness in our hearts. It will never satisfy the thirst we feel.
Moenie die wêreld liefhê of die dinge wat in die wêreld is nie. As iemand die wêreld liefhet, dan is die liefde van die Vader nie in hom nie.( 1 Johannes 2:15 )
There is a source of true love, true knowledge, true path to life, the water source that we never get thirsty after.
maar elkeen wat drink van die water wat Ek hom sal gee, sal in ewigheid nooit dors kry nie, maar die water wat Ek hom sal gee, sal in hom word 'n fontein van water wat opspring tot in die ewige lewe.( Johannes 4:14 )
You may or may not know Jesus Christ (even though you have likely heard the name), who he is and where he is from. Yet, there is one thing we could see right away - he’s not of this world.
Ek het hulle u woord gegee, en die wêreld het hulle gehaat, omdat hulle nie van die wêreld is nie, net soos Ek nie van die wêreld is nie.( Johannes 17:14 )
And he does not accept what this world has to offer.
Weer neem die duiwel Hom saam na 'n baie hoë berg en wys Hom al die koninkryke van die wêreld en hulle heerlikheid, en sê vir Hom: Al hierdie dinge sal ek aan U gee as U neerval en my aanbid. Toe sê Jesus vir hom: Gaan weg, Satan! want daar is geskrywe: Die Here jou God moet jy aanbid en Hom alleen dien.( Matteus 4:8-10 )
When we feel useless, abandoned, empty, not of this world, we can drink the water that Jesus offers us. It would give us the knowledge we need, so that we never feel thirsty again. He also is the right path that leads to the real treasure humans have been seeking all their life for.
Jesus antwoord hom: Ek is die weg en die waarheid en die lewe; niemand kom na die Vader behalwe deur My nie.( Johannes 14:6 )
It is natural for all of us to have a need to feel special, to feel loved just the way we are. Everybody knows that we are created by God’s image. But we easily forget how special we are in God’s eyes.
Omdat jy kostelik is in my oë, hooggeag is, en Ek jou liefhet, daarom gee Ek mense in jou plek en volke vir jou lewe.( Jesaja 43:4 )
We may still feel an urge to do something useful in our lives and get rid of that feeling of uselessness. For that we need to understand that the most important thing for us is to be found… Our heavenly father will leave everybody else just to find you, the lost sheep…
En as hy hom kry, voorwaar Ek sê vir julle dat hy blyer is oor hom as oor die nege en negentig wat nie verdwaal het nie.( Matteus 18:13 )
Let’s look deeper inside and see where the disturbing feeling of uselessness is coming from and where it is leading us to. If the feeling wants us to seek for human acceptance or praise, then think twice before letting that feeling take over you. But if what you are feeling is driven by the love to God or your love to others who you can help in their time of need, then go for it! For God is with you, and he has a plan for you.
Want Ék weet watter gedagtes Ek aangaande julle koester, spreek die HERE, gedagtes van vrede en nie van onheil nie, om julle 'n hoopvolle toekoms te gee.( Jeremia 29:11 )
If you are still unsure what is the plan that God has for you, just pray… And then look around. Maybe you are already on the right path?
Vrede laat Ek vir julle na, my vrede gee Ek aan julle; nie soos die wêreld gee, gee Ek aan julle nie. Laat julle hart nie ontsteld word en bang wees nie.( Johannes 14:27 )