Remember learning about ‘survival of the fittest’ as part of the evolution theory in school? My little mind hated Charles Darwin, not just because he said that humans evolved from apes, but also because his theories meant I had to study more.

But as we went on to college and then the job market, hasn’t it always been survival of the fittest and the best? If you score well in your exams, the teachers love you. Your classmates adore you. You get into the best college. Once you are done with your education, the best companies will beg you to join them. You buy a house, a car, get married and then your children get the best in life. Sigh, it’s all a cycle. When you are the best, you have people around you. You have appreciation and accolades flying in. If you were one of the students who scored really well in school or college, you’d understand how it felt to be the best. But if you were one of the average students or someone who flunked in exams, you’d know how it felt to be unnoticed and ignored, or worse, looked down upon.

So how does ‘survival of the fittest’ apply to the average kid who seemed to have no future? An average student myself, I have been at the receiving end of my teachers’ partiality, with some not even realizing I existed. I know so many of my classmates who felt ignored by teachers and other friends, all because of some numbers. In a recent video call, most of my class friends reminiscenced their experiences with teachers and I realized the trauma was deep for all of us. Thankfully, most of them are doing well today, with good jobs and a decent standard of living.

Now, let’s skip to the mental health part here. Doesn’t it hurt when you are ignored? Doesn’t it bother you when disregarded because you are not the best in the daily competition we are unknowingly a part of? What does God think about us, then? If you are somebody who’s known God and received His salvation, I hope you need little convincing that your identity is in Christ and the parameters of this world don’t define you. We ought to measure ourselves by His standards and oh my, His beautiful gaze is always on us.

In our everyday life, when struggles weigh us down and we feel we aren’t enough for the society, there’s Christ who thinks of us more than we can imagine. Now imagine your name written on His palms. You are constantly in His thoughts. He’s forever loving you. I know we’ve heard this for a long time. But for a moment, take a pause and breathe in. Think about the Creator of this universe looking straight at you and saying, “Child, you are more than enough for me. And I am more than enough for you.” A fairytale that’s true, isn’t it?

As we go about the daily grind acknowledging whose child we are, here’s an encouraging Bible verse for you – The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. (Deuteronomy 28:13). Here, God doesn’t say you might be at the top. He says you will be at the top if you follow His commands. Being a child of God, this is your right that nobody can snatch away–be it education, career, health, relationships or any other aspect of life. A below-average life is not yours or mine. As God heals our emotions, He also raises us up in the society we live in. He promotes us spiritually, taking us through a journey of refining.  

Today, if you feel ignored or demotivated, do turn to the Word of God. This isn’t some motivational content that I hope gets eyeballs. This is what God wants His children to inherit–a life of overflowing joy and peace in a world that runs on a deadly treadmill. Psalm 126:5 says, ‘Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.’ We, as children of God, don’t have to be average people. We are the ‘fittest’ with the help of the Lord who made the heavens and the earth.

And I shall leave you with Psalms 31:19-20:

How great is the goodness
    you have stored up for those who fear you.

You lavish it on those who come to you for protection,
    blessing them before the watching world.

You hide them in the shelter of your presence,
    safe from those who conspire against them.

You shelter them in your presence,
    far from accusing tongues.