Recently I texted a friend of mine to ask how I could be praying for her throughout the week. She replied several hours later with one simple statement,
“Feeling inadequate….big time.”
As I thought about that seemingly simple statement I realized that it reflects the inner reality of all mankind. We are all, at our base level, inadequate. We can never be enough. We are not holy enough to stand before God. We are not prepared enough to be parents. In short, we are not capable of handling life’s challenges on our own.
John 15:5 says,
Did you see that? Nothing. Without Jesus we can do nothing. Nada, Zilch, Nothing.
Guess what? We are inadequate. Big time. Every last one of us.
The only way that we can be adequate is to abide in Christ.
Strongs gives this definition of abide:
to remain, abide
- in reference to place
- to sojourn, tarry
- not to depart
- to continue to be present
- to be held, kept, continually
Oohhh…that last one makes me feel warm down to my toes…to be held and kept….continually.
Sweet friends, we are all inadequate when we try to live life on our terms and through our own strength. But when we abide in Christ and draw from His love, His strength, His mercy, His wisdom, then…and only then can we be adequate. Actually, more than simply adequate, Romans 8:37 says that we are MORE than conquerors. Have you ever thought about what it means to be MORE than conquerors? We aren’t just treading water, we aren’t just getting by, we are conquering and then some THROUGH Christ. In his book Risk is Right John Piper says the following about being more than conquerors,
We are more than conquerors in our afflictions, not by avoiding them.
We must walk through various trials and sufferings on this earth, including feeling inadequate, but as we do our faith grows. As we see the faithfulness of the Lord, our faith grows, and the end results is not simply conquering these “light afflictions” but through them being sanctified and increasing our faith. This increase of faith is what makes our conquering “more.” It isn’t just making it through the tough times, it’s hanging onto our faith in the Lord Jesus through them that makes us more than conquers.
So my dear readers, cling to Lord in the times of feeling inadequate for the task set before you. Ask Him to fill you with His love for your children, His wisdom for tough decisions, and His grace for daily life. He will always provide what you need so that you can continue to cling to Him.