“And there we saw the giants…and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” (Numbers 13:33)
Inferior means “low in quality, value, rank or importance.”
Two questions: 1. What do you think of yourself? 2. What do others think of you? Your answer to the second question will depend on your answer to the first. In other words, do others simply see you the way you see yourself? Inferiority is firstly a self-judgement, and secondly a feeling. You only feel inferior when you think you are, or when you agree with someone who says you are. Inferior is one step above infernal, and inferno is the Spanish word for hell.
Jesus descended into the grave for us, then ascended – “far above all.” (Ephesians 4:9,10) We were crucified with Christ. In baptism, we are “buried with him.” He rose again for our justification.” (Romans 4:25) We were raised with him and are seated with him in heavenly places – not buried alive, to squirm in hellish feelings of inferiority!
Inferiority is the result of an unwise, superficial comparison. (2 Corinthians 10:12) Strengths and weaknesses are not determined by appearances. (1 Samuel 16:7) The young David perceived that Goliath was covenantly disadvantaged (uncircumcised).
When you feel inferior you shrink in self-esteem. This puts your problems out of proportion. The lower your self-esteem, the greater your problems appear. Opportunities are perceived as dangers; challenges as threats. Who turned the 10 princes into “grasshoppers”? They did! They said of the giants: “They are so tall” and of themselves: “We are so small!” The giants saw them as they saw themselves – inferior. The cause of inferiority is negative self-judgement; bad feelings simply follow.
Big isn’t everything. Instead of majoring on the difference in height, Israel could have majored on the benefits that go with being small. Small means harder to hit. Small means shooting arrows from a distance, instead of wielding swords up close. Zacchaeus was small and couldn’t see, so he climbed a tree. He compensated for his lack of stature. The lepers who were not permitted to get close to Jesus shouted to him from a distance. Giant problems surface fears that accompany feelings of inferiority.
The 10 princes shrank in self-esteem (adopted a grasshopper mentality) and permitted their problems to grow out of all proportion (their problems grew as they shrank). Those who followed them then misused their emotions (cried over their fears), developed a bad attitude (grumbled about the opportunity), reacted negatively (“God is punishing us!”), misjudged the Lord (“He wants to destroy us”), despised their original dream (freedom, in their own land), manifested blatant unbelief, and wanted to return to bondage in Egypt. Finally, they talked of killing Moses, their leader! (Numbers 13:33; 14:1,2,4,10,25,31; Deut. 1:26,27)
How others see you limits them, not you, unless your inferiority allows it. Reject the negative assessments of others. Instead, see yourself as God sees you: a spiritual giant, stomping on enemy grasshoppers