"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.
«Se il mondo vi odia, sapete bene che prima di voi ha odiato me. Se foste del mondo, il mondo amerebbe quello che è suo; poiché non siete del mondo, ma io ho scelto voi in mezzo al mondo, perciò il mondo vi odia.( Vangelo secondo Giovanni 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,
perché preferirono la gloria degli uomini alla gloria di Dio.( Vangelo secondo Giovanni 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...
La paura degli uomini è una trappola, ma chi confida nel SIGNORE è al sicuro.( Proverbi 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.
Non amate il mondo né le cose che sono nel mondo. Se uno ama il mondo, l' amore del Padre non è in lui.( Prima lettera di Giovanni 2:15 )
There is a source of true love, true knowledge, true path to life, the water source that we never get thirsty after.
ma chi beve dell' acqua che io gli darò, non avrà mai più sete; anzi, l' acqua che io gli darò diventerà in lui una fonte d' acqua che scaturisce in vita eterna».( Vangelo secondo Giovanni 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.
Io ho dato loro la tua parola; e il mondo li ha odiati, perché non sono del mondo, come io non sono del mondo.( Vangelo secondo Giovanni 17:14 )
And he does not accept what this world has to offer.
Di nuovo il diavolo lo portò con sé sopra un monte altissimo e gli mostrò tutti i regni del mondo e la loro gloria, dicendogli: «Tutte queste cose ti darò, se tu ti prostri e mi adori». Allora Gesù gli disse: «Vattene, Satana, poiché sta scritto: "Adora il Signore Dio tuo e a Lui solo rendi il culto"».( Vangelo secondo Matteo 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.
Gesù gli disse: «Io sono la via, la verità e la vita; nessuno viene al Padre se non per mezzo di me.( Vangelo secondo Giovanni 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.
Perché tu sei prezioso ai miei occhi, sei stimato e io ti amo, io do degli uomini al tuo posto, e dei popoli in cambio della tua vita.( Isaia 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…
E se gli riesce di ritrovarla, in verità vi dico che egli si rallegra più per questa che per le novantanove che non si erano smarrite.( Vangelo secondo Matteo 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.
Infatti io so i pensieri che medito per voi», dice il SIGNORE: «pensieri di pace e non di male, per darvi un avvenire e una speranza.( Geremia 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?
Vi lascio pace; vi do la mia pace. Io non vi do come il mondo dà. Il vostro cuore non sia turbato e non si sgomenti.( Vangelo secondo Giovanni 14:27 )