Grace Notes By Sadell Bradley: WEDNESDAY'S WORD - SELF-DOUBT - Sadell Bradley

Self-doubt is a lack of confidence in oneself and one's abilities. The word doubt means a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction. It derives from the Latin word, dubitare, which means hesitate. When riddled with self-doubt, we are less bold in decision making and action...sometimes to crippling procrastination. Self-confidence, on the other hand, is the feeling or belief that you can trust your own abilities, qualities and judgment. Some folks don't war at all with self-doubt; I am not one of them. But that's OK! God graced many heroes of the faith to overcome their self-doubt. I believe He will do the same for us!

Paul makes it clear in 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 that God intentionally chooses weak, poor, unlearned, lowly and despised people, orphans and others of ignoble birth to use for His purposes! Not many who are wise or influential by human standards, but those who are unknown, "so that no one may boast before Him." Our only boasting will be in the Lord! This runs counter to our culture of pride and meritocracy. We'll have to say GOD did it, not us!

We know the Lord's upside-down choosing is a real phenomenon. That is of little consolation to our feelings of inadequacy when God calls. Like Gideon when the Spirit says, "The Lord is with you, Mighty Warrior!" we reply, Who me?! "If the Lord's with us why has all this bad stuff happened?" (Judges 6:12-13) Then we put our test fleeces out to see if what we heard God say in picking us is really true. Or we're like Moses, an orphan abandoned at birth. He messed up his call the first time to be a deliverer by unjustly murdering an Egyptian oppressor. (Ex. 2) When God called him again, he was a criminal in self-exile because of guilt and needed a burning bush experience to call him out. If that weren't enough, he had a debilitating speech impediment - and God called him to be Israel's spokesman! The great leader future leader Moses was petrified! He also needed signs and his brother to come along! (Ex. 3 & 4) Perhaps you're like Abraham and Sarah. God promises that you're going to be exceedingly fruitful, but you're looking at your old age laughing and questioning because it seems impossible. (Gen. 18:12) Or conversely, you're like Jeremiah saying, "I'm too young, I cannot speak." (Jer. 1:6-7) We all have self-disqualifying reasons...

It is not only possible, but probable that GOD does not see you, the way YOU see you. Look at the potential He saw in the misfits He chose to be His disciples! When God chose David he was the most unlikely candidate of 8 older brothers. Samuel made a statement that we love when it applies to David, but we're not as sure of when it concerns us, "The LORD doesn't look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Sam. 16:7) Unfortunately, WE are the people judging and disqualifying ourselves! Stop doing that! He is choosing you! Walk boldly into His call!