Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Mar/75

Contributor - Will Kroon

Title - Overcoming a Nagging Inferiority Complex

Topic - Church In The World

Most of the time I devote my column to Christians elsewhere and point out how they are faring in the world. This time I would like to make an exception and try to point out how many of our own people are the "Church in the world". I do so for there are some things I hear and' see which are inexcusable, To be specific I feel that many of our people have a nagging inferiority complex about themselves and their Church and about the people with whom they grew up. Let us look at this together and help each other in overcoming it.

It is a common thing among Christians to feel inferior about something. Some time ago I pointed out that several of my collegues in Stoney Creek felt sort of ashamed about the name of their denomination. They felt embarrassed when someone asked them about the name of their Church. Some sizeable congregations in Hamilton actually changed their names, hoping that a change in name would help their people to feel better.

However, I don't intend to write about changing names, even though this is often a sign of an inferiority complex, I plan to write about the complex itself. People who have such an inferiority complex underestimate themselves, feel inferior, talk themselves down, convince themselves that their opinions are not important. To say it differently they feel like a teenager, who somehow has convinced himself that he is too small, too weak or too ugly. In a similar fashion many of our people feel that they don't have this gift or that they don't have that gift (spiritually speaking). They feel inadequate and ashamed about themselves and about anything of which they are, a part.

INFERIORITY MAKES US POWERLESS

The feeling of inferiority makes one uncomfortable in the presence of others. When a person, who feels inferior, is forgotten, overlooked, criticized, he feels awful. He cannot laugh it off. He is overly sensitive to remarks and feels easily hurt. Even when others look at him he already begins to feel uncomfortable. A Christian who feels that way, looks for ways to compensate his feelings, to make up for his weakness. He may even throw overboard all the good things he has gained from parents, Church, fellow believers, in order to feel accepted by others. A person who feels inferior about his own Church has no trust in it's leaders, no trust in what his Church stands for. He is powerless and lacks strength, hope and courage. Since he is so oversensitive to criticism he doesn't dare to be open. He is a person to be pitied.

There is still too much of this inferiority among our own people. They too feel uncomfortable about themselves, their background, their Church. They somehow have convinced themselves that they are inferior and so they use all sorts of excuses to get away from themselves, their parents, their Church and their fellow brethren.

Just examine yourselves and see whether you recognize some of these feelings in you. Are you inclined to talk yourselves down, while always giving the impression that others do things better than you? Do you feel ready to invite others to your home, to your Church? Can you accept yourselves and your differences and use them to the good of your group or your congregation? Do you respect your own, parents and your own leaders? If not, there is something missing in you, and not necessarily in the people you are ashamed of.

IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO FEEL INFERIOR

The point which I hope to get across is that it is not necessary to feel inferior. There is no one who ought to be ashamed of himself or his Church, unless there are some sins to confess. Many of us are of Dutch origin, but so what? We all belong to a Reformed family, but is that something to be ashamed of. We are small in number according to world standards, but is that a crime?

The greatest missionary the world has ever known wrote the following words to his people. He wrote: "When I am weak, then I am strong" (II Cor. 12:10b). Those are great words of a great man. When our denomination was even smaller in number than what it is today is was powerful. When the doors for the Gospel were opened in Japan our denomination was ready to send three of the first five missionaries there. When we were weak we were able to do pioneering work in the Middle East. We were able to build schools and seminaries. When our Church was weak twenty years ago, large numbers of young and older men stepped forward to accept the call to a full time ministry. There is indeed power in weakness.

Before you accuse me of living too much in the past I would like to point out that Christians around the world have a very high regard, for the people of Holland who are members of the Reformed family. They respect them for their knowledge, their wisdom and their leadership. They have called them to positions of leadership in all of the three large ecumenical boclies in the world, consisting of about 500 denominations. It was Dr. Visser t'Hooft who was called to a key position in the World Council of Churches. It was Rev. Marris, who was called to a key position in the International Council of Christian Churches. And it was two Dutchmen of the Reformed faith (one of whom now lives in Grand Rapids) who were called to the office of President and General Secretary in the Reformed Ecumenical Synod. Well, there is no need to elaborate further on this. I only wanted to say, others have confidence in Dutchmen who belong to the Reformed faith, why then do some of you have trouble with it. It is not necessary.

YOU CAN BE CHANGED

No one has to go through life powerless. If he does, he has no one but himself to blame. God has made us in such a way that we can be changed. The Bible speaks about the great themes of re-generation, re-birth, re-creation, and becoming a new person in Christ. In Christ we can do all things, even overcoming an inferiority complex. Let me now try to point out ways how the latter may happen. It may happen in other ways too. God surprises us with more ways we can think of.

ACCEPT YOUR BAPTISMAL PROMISE

When you experience moments in your life that you feel deserted, lonely, misunderstood (feelings that are common to any fighter for the Lord) it can be of mighty great comfort to you to recall the words of your mother-: Son ' your father and I had you baptized in the Church and God said to us: "He is mine." You have been accepted by God. His promises are for you too.

Now if you can stand on the promises of God, you will have enough spiritual strength to last you to the end. You will have something to live for, something to hold on to, something witfi which you can face death.

What I want to say clearly and loudly is: If you know that God has accepted you, why then can't you accept yourselves? I wholeheartedly agree with Dr. J. J. Buskes, that old warrior for the Lord (75), who said some time ago: In former times I thought that I, singing the powerful hymn of Martin Luther, was on my way to meet the Lord. Now I have a chance to discover that the Lord is meeting me. This discovery is wisdom of old age." (a free translation - W.K.)

BEING RECONCILED WITH CHRIST

This step cannot be separated from the one mentioned above. They belong together. When a person accepts the promises of Christ he also has to accept Christ as well. And when he accepts Christ the world around him begins to change. Then he gets the strength to accept himself, and when he can accept himself, he can accept the persons around him too. Then he discovers that the Spirit opens up new avenues of life.

We often overlook the fact that when we accept Christ, we automatically experience the presence of the Spirit. There is not even a need to pray for it. What has already been promised will be given to whoever is ready. When the people fully accepted the Lord on the Day of Pentecost the Spirit came as promised. The same thing happened to Cornelius and will also happen to us. Anyone who fully accepts Christ will be fully, empowered by the Spirit to serve his Lord. We stand on that promise.

I could write on this further, but I would like to stick to my subject. In this line I would like to stress that when you accept your Lord you will have the strength to accept yourselves. You will even get the strength to stand alone, for somehow you will know that there is always someone with you.

FINDING NEW HOPE AND COURAGE THROUGH WORSHIP

Once in awhile a person needs to experience that the Spirit of God is with him, as He is with others. If one does not have that experience occasionally there is a chance that he will begin to doubt himself, and his ministry, as was the case with Elijah. So it can be a real blessing in time of uncertainty to experience that the Lord is still with us.

Many of our people went through a time of uncertainty, prior to our big Festival in Detroit. But things began to change in that city. I don't know how it all happened. I only can say that people began to accept each other, they began to accept themselves and while this was all taking place the people felt that the Spirit was dwelling with them. It all happened during these days of worship.

Such a discovery of the Presence of the Holy Spirit, is like finding an oasis in the wilderness It is an experience that gives one new hope and new assurance. I often wish that we might have a few more of these Festivals.

DISCOVERING JOY THROUGH REACHING OUT

Any person who dares to stand on the promises of God will find a new boldness to speak freely about his Lord. An inferiority complex drains our strength for mission, but when a person knows that the message he has to share is nothing but the truth, he dares to speak with conviction. The more he speaks the more he discovers the guidance of God. That is what I mean when I say that there is a special kind of joy to be experienced through outreach.

Let me conclude by saying: This kind of joy, of feeling part of the Lord s flock can be obtained by you too. There is no doubt in my mind when I say: "You will get an inner strength, an inner certainty when you continue to stand on the promises of God and accept the Son of God as your Lord." That joy breaks through when you gather with fellow believers in sharing and worship and when you unashamedly begin to share the message of the Lord with others.

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