Feelings on Inadequacy

Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me" (NKJV)

Many of us learned to quote this passage of scripture at the beginning stages of our walk with Christ.  We realized that we would face situations that would challenge us to grow, mature, and see our Christian relationship develop and we knew that we would need to depend on a strength or power that was greater than us.  But even after all of these years of my journey there are moments that I still feel inadequate as I face the daunting realities of life.  There are times that I feel inadequate when I seek to assist others in learning more about Christ.  There are times that I feel inadequate when it comes to dealing with conflict with others or even seeking to assist others in dealing with conflict with someone in their life.  There are times that I feel inadequate in my role as a Gospel preacher. There are times that I feel inadequate in my role as a spiritual leader in my home, the local church that I serve, and in the community in which I live.  It is at those moments that I must choose to lean on God and not on my own strength.  It is at those times that I must learn to lean on the direction of the Spirit and not trust in my wisdom  or even in the wisdom of other men.  It is at those moments that I must allow the promises of God to come alive in my heart and fully realize that this passage in Philippians is TRUE.

No one likes feelings of inadequacy, but they are some things we must learn to handle, as none of us can avoid them permanently. Tragically, though, many people live with a cloud over their head because in their thinking, they never measure up. For some, this may be due to childhood experiences that negatively affected their self-image. For others, the problem stems from a lack of success related to work, relationships, marriage, parenting, or any number of things.  We must choose to move beyond these feelings of inadequacy and trust in God and then trust in ourselves to follow after the plan and purpose of God.  God will lead us into the right actions and the right reactions if we will will fully place our hope and confidence in Him.  We can overcome any strategy that the enemy places against us if we will continue to seek after the plan of God for our lives.  God will provide what we need as we face the different challenges of life.  Trust in the promises of His Word and the strength of His Spirit!