The “Grasshopper” complex

“We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them,” (Numbers 13:33).

This verse of Scripture fascinated me early in my Christian life. It motivated me to look at myself in a different way, in a more positive way. This passage tells me that people see me in ways similar to how I see myself. If I see myself as a nobody, then that’s how I will be seen and treated by others. That’s how it was for the leaders of Israel when they first visited the Promised Land. They saw themselves as inferior to the inhabitants, (“We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes”), and sure enough the inhabitants saw them in the same way. A complex of inferiority prevents us from attaining our full potentials; inferiority conditions us for failure and not success. Jesus created us for success and went to extra-ordinary lengths to ensure our success. This is couched in His mission, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full,” that “they” includes you and me. We are the recipients of a full and abundant life, let us therefore live it out with boldness and confidence, (“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand,” Isaiah 40:10). Let us therefore look at and see ourselves for who we are, children of the living God, brothers and sisters in God’s family where Jesus claims us as His very own. Let us pray,

“Most holy Father in Heaven, praises to Your name for Your goodness, patience and kindness towards us. We confess Father that many times we see ourselves as “grasshoppers” and in so doing limit ourselves from experiencing the abundant and full life we have in Christ Jesus. Our “grasshopper” complex affects our lives in negative ways – we see failures when You assure us of success; we plague ourselves with “can’t” when You assure us “we can.” We know Father that through our Lord Jesus we can overcome all our problems, we can be what You want us to be. Father forgive us and enable us to see ourselves in strong positive ways that will lift us out of inferiority and mediocrity to the higher planes of dynamic and joyful lives. We thank You Father for hearing our prayers and blessing us even with our shortcomings. Praises to Your Holy Name as we pray in the blessed name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”