I am not worthy.

I wonder how many times I uttered those words. Out loud. From grades K thru 12. Just before communion.

“Lord, I am not worthy …”

Ewww.

Don’t get me wrong, this is no knock against religion. Not at all. Just an observation based on sound neuroscience.


Considering what you and I know about the power of words and how they can penetrate the subconscious mind and be accepted quite literally — especially during childhood — I can’t help but wonder how much my classmates and I were influenced by those repetitive, emotional declarations of our patent unworthiness.

If emotion and repetition are the two critical ingredients our brains require in order to build and then strengthen the neural networks governing our habitual thoughts and feelings, I imagine we all got a little (or a lot) of unworthiness wired into our gray matter.

And it’s this kind of wiring — whether it originated from religion or from our early experiences with family and friends — that blocks us from receiving our good.

Or as Reverend Ike says on today’s episode …



“Anything that you don’t feel you’re worthy of, you can’t have. Anything that you feel you do not deserve … you’ll automatically cut yourself off from that good.”

How much of your good is being cut off by wired unworthiness?

How much are you willing to accept the fact that you deserve to be on the receiving end of everything that is good; that your thoughts and feelings of unworthiness aren’t true and never were; that no matter what you’ve been through or what someone said to you or encouraged you to repeat every Sunday morning, you still deserve the best?

The very best.

Tap the PLAY button above to hear Reverend Ike keep this topic going. It’s a must-listen and only 7 minutes!

You can find today’s full clip here.

Enjoy today’s quote. Leave a comment below and let us know what you think!

Sean