We cannot successfully hide our true selves from others, no matter how hard we try.  Even if we are brilliant in our efforts, the most we might do is to fool some of the people some of the time. It is a serious mistake to try to bluff our way through life by pretending to be someone other than our true selves.  Each one of us is special with our own unique set of talents and experiences, and we should work hard at developing our talents and being our unique selves to the best of our ability.  

There is a tendency for many of us to be too self conscious.  We imagine ourselves unattractive.  We think we are deficient in talents.  In short, we tend to put ourselves down.  This is a terrible mistake.  God created us as individuals for a purpose, and we should be proud of who we are and make the most of God's creation. Some of the most famous people in history once had low opinions of themselves and were judged poorly by others.

Abraham Lincoln grew up in poverty with almost no formal schooling.  His mother died when he was only nine years old.  He was extremely tall for his age and quite awkward.  Most likely, other boys made fun of young Abe and caused him much heartache and self-doubt. During most of his adult life Lincoln was not very distinguished in the eyes of his contemporaries, and he probably suffered from self-doubt much of the time.  The first woman he asked to mary him, Mary Owens, turned him down. He ran for Congress in 1842 and lost.  He was elected in 1846, but his two years in Congress were so undistinguished that he was not renominated by his party. He ran for the U.S. Senate in 1858 but was defeated.  Even when he was elected President, in 1860, many people ridiculed him for his lack of formal education and cultural sophistication.  They believed that he was so lacking in administrative and diplomatic skills that he would be an incompetent president. 

Yet Abraham Lincoln brought to the presidency such an uncommon degree of personal integrity, intelligence, and humanity that he has become one of the most revered and beloved leaders of all time. In every age, there are people who seem ordinary to themselves, and those around them, who, when faced with the proper challenge, distinguish themselves as extraordinary people. So why not just be ourselves and see where that takes us.   

Copyright 20/14

TB-120—Posted 07/09/2014

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