Did your parents teach you to believe in yourself?

The world teaches us that "believing in yourself" is a good thing. It sounds like the self-reliant thing to do! After all, if you don't believe in yourself, you're in real trouble, right?

I asked this question today on my radio show:

http://www.rebuildingtheman.com/audio/JPRadioShow/clips/2011/BelieveInYourself.mp3

Give a listen and let me know how you see it.

Actually, parents should NOT teach their children to believe in themselves. It places unnecessary stress on the child. Also, when parents teach this, it can irritate the child. Instead, parents should teach their children--by example, not words--to BELIEVE in God. Not just talking about Scriptures, but being that example so they can have faith in God.

In reality, there is no self for you to believe in. If your parents try to teach you to believe in self, you try to live up to what you think self is, and then you never feel good enough. And then you become angry at them trying to get you to believe in yourself. You don't feel good enough, and you feel like you can never fit what they think self is. But if you just have faith in God--what is right--you'll be fine.

Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson is the Founder and President of two-dynamic nonprofit organizations (BOND, the Brotherhood Organization of A New Destiny and BOND Action). He’s the host of  “The Jesse Lee Peterson Radio Show”, a national talk show which airs M-F, 6-9 a.m. PT / 9 a.m.-12 Noon ET. For more information visit www.bondinfo.org.