Ephesians 2:10 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them.

Early in my life, I experienced some feelings of inferiority. Because we struggled financially, my mother and I didn’t live in the “right” places, and I didn’t wear the “right” clothes. Even in school, I felt that I did not measure up academically to the other kids. The sense of failure and embarrassment at not being good enough was devastating to me.

The misery of inferiority is never what God intends for His children. Its seed usually takes root in the impressionable hearts of the young and thrives in an atmosphere of comparison. This kind of emotional baggage can have debilitating and enslaving ramifications in every area of life. Feelings of inadequacy may cause avoidance of healthy challenges; low self-esteem cripples personal relationships; and comparison steals contentment.

We need to understand how God sees us. Then, when feelings of inferiority come, we can cling to His accurate assessment rather than our own faulty one. He says we are His workmanship—His masterpieces. Each person is thoughtfully designed by the Creator for His purpose. The differences that cause us to make comparisons and feel discouraged are the very qualities that the Lord created to bring Him glory.

Feelings of inferiority are a hindrance to becoming the people that the heavenly Father designed us to be and a deterrent to fulfilling His purpose for our lives. When it comes to our value, we either accept the truth of His appraisal or decide not to believe Him and instead rely on our own feelings. What will your choice be?

Bible in One Year: Job 39-42 Chapter 39 1 Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? `Or' canst thou mark when the hinds do calve? 2 Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? Or knowest thou the time when they bring forth? 3 They bow themselves, they bring forth their young, They cast out their pains. 4 Their young ones become strong, they grow up in the open field; They go forth, and return not again. 5 Who hath sent out the wild ass free? Or who hath loosed the bonds of the swift ass, 6 Whose home I have made the wilderness, And the salt land his dwelling-place? 7 He scorneth the tumult of the city, Neither heareth he the shoutings of the driver. 8 The range of the mountains is his pasture, And he searcheth after every green thing. 9 Will the wild-ox be content to serve thee? Or will he abide by thy crib? 10 Canst thou bind the wild-ox with his band in the furrow? Or will he harrow the valleys after thee? 11 Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? Or wilt thou leave to him thy labor? 12 Wilt thou confide in him, that he will bring home thy seed, And gather `the grain' of thy threshing-floor? 13 The wings of the ostrich wave proudly; `But' are they the pinions and plumage of love? 14 For she leaveth her eggs on the earth, And warmeth them in the dust, 15 And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, Or that the wild beast may trample them. 16 She dealeth hardly with her young ones, as if they were not hers: Though her labor be in vain, `she is' without fear; 17 Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, Neither hath he imparted to her understanding. 18 What time she lifteth up herself on high, She scorneth the horse and his rider. 19 Hast thou given the horse `his' might? Hast thou clothed his neck with the quivering mane? 20 Hast thou made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is terrible. 21 He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: He goeth out to meet the armed men. 22 He mocketh at fear, and is not dismayed; Neither turneth he back from the sword. 23 The quiver rattleth against him, The flashing spear and the javelin. 24 He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage; Neither believeth he that it is the voice of the trumpet. 25 As oft as the trumpet `soundeth' he saith, Aha! And he smelleth the battle afar off, The thunder of the captains, and the shouting. 26 Is it by thy wisdom that the hawk soareth, (And) stretcheth her wings toward the south? 27 Is it at thy command that the eagle mounteth up, And maketh her nest on high? 28 On the cliff she dwelleth, and maketh her home, Upon the point of the cliff, and the stronghold. 29 From thence she spieth out the prey; Her eyes behold it afar off. 30 Her young ones also suck up blood: And where the slain are, there is she. Chapter 40 1 Moreover Jehovah answered Job, and said, 2 Shall he that cavilleth contend with the Almighty? He that argueth with God, let him answer it. 3 Then Job answered Jehovah, and said, 4 Behold, I am of small account; What shall I answer thee? I lay my hand upon my mouth. 5 Once have I spoken, and I will not answer; Yea, twice, but I will proceed no further. 6 Then Jehovah answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 7 Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. 8 Wilt thou even annul my judgment? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be justified? 9 Or hast thou an arm like God? And canst thou thunder with a voice like him? 10 Deck thyself now with excellency and dignity; And array thyself with honor and majesty. 11 Pour forth the overflowings of thine anger; And look upon every one that is proud, and abase him. 12 Look on every one that is proud, `and' bring him low; And tread down the wicked where they stand. 13 Hide them in the dust together; Bind their faces in the hidden `place'. 14 Then will I also confess of thee That thine own right hand can save thee. 15 Behold now, behemoth, which I made as well as thee; He eateth grass as an ox. 16 Lo now, his strength is in his loins, And his force is in the muscles of his belly. 17 He moveth his tail like a cedar: The sinews of his thighs are knit together. 18 His bones are `as' tubes of brass; His limbs are like bars of iron. 19 He is the chief of the ways of God: He `only' that made him giveth him his sword. 20 Surely the mountains bring him forth food, Where all the beasts of the field do play. 21 He lieth under the lotus-trees, In the covert of the reed, and the fen. 22 The lotus-trees cover him with their shade; The willows of the brook compass him about. 23 Behold, if a river overflow, he trembleth not; He is confident, though a Jordan swell even to his mouth. 24 Shall any take him when he is on the watch, Or pierce through his nose with a snare? Chapter 41 1 Canst thou draw out leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord? 2 Canst thou put a rope into his nose? Or pierce his jaw through with a hook? 3 Will he make many supplications unto thee? Or will he speak soft words unto thee? 4 Will he make a covenant with thee, That thou shouldest take him for a servant for ever? 5 Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? Or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens? 6 Will the bands `of fishermen' make traffic of him? Will they part him among the merchants? 7 Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons, Or his head with fish-spears? 8 Lay thy hand upon him; Remember the battle, and do so no more. 9 Behold, the hope of him is in vain: Will not one be cast down even at the sight of him? 10 None is so fierce that he dare stir him up; Who then is he that can stand before me? 11 Who hath first given unto me, that I should repay him? `Whatsoever is' under the whole heaven is mine. 12 I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, Nor his mighty strength, nor his goodly frame. 13 Who can strip off his outer garment? Who shall come within his jaws? 14 Who can open the doors of his face? Round about his teeth is terror. 15 `His' strong scales are `his' pride, Shut up together `as with' a close seal. 16 One is so near to another, That no air can come between them. 17 They are joined one to another; They stick together, so that they cannot be sundered. 18 His sneezings flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. 19 Out of his mouth go burning torches, And sparks of fire leap forth. 20 Out of his nostrils a smoke goeth, As of a boiling pot and `burning' rushes. 21 His breath kindleth coals, And a flame goeth forth from his mouth. 22 In his neck abideth strength, And terror danceth before him. 23 The flakes of his flesh are joined together: They are firm upon him; they cannot be moved. 24 His heart is as firm as a stone; Yea, firm as the nether millstone. 25 When he raiseth himself up, the mighty are afraid: By reason of consternation they are beside themselves. 26 If one lay at him with the sword, it cannot avail; Nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft. 27 He counteth iron as straw, `And' brass as rotten wood. 28 The arrow cannot make him flee: Sling-stones are turned with him into stubble. 29 Clubs are counted as stubble: He laugheth at the rushing of the javelin. 30 His underparts are `like' sharp potsherds: He spreadeth `as it were' a threshing-wain upon the mire. 31 He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: He maketh the sea like a pot of ointment. 32 He maketh a path to shine after him; One would think the deep to be hoary. 33 Upon earth there is not his like, That is made without fear. 34 He beholdeth everything that is high: He is king over all the sons of pride. Chapter 42 1 Then Job answered Jehovah, and said, 2 I know that thou canst do all things, And that no purpose of thine can be restrained. 3 Who is this that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore have I uttered that which I understood not, Things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. 4 Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak; I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. 5 I had heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; But now mine eye seeth thee: 6 Wherefore I abhor `myself', And repent in dust and ashes. 7 And it was so, that, after Jehovah had spoken these words unto Job, Jehovah said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends; for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. 8 Now therefore, take unto you seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt-offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you; for him will I accept, that I deal not with you after your folly; for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as Jehovah commanded them: and Jehovah accepted Job. 10 And Jehovah turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: and Jehovah gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11 Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him concerning all the evil that Jehovah had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one a ring of gold. 12 So Jehovah blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: And he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses. 13 He had also seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first, Jemimah: and the name of the second, Keziah; and the name of the third, Keren-happuch. 15 And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren. 16 And after this Job lived a hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, `even' four generations. 17 So Job died, being old and full of days.