When You Feel Inadequate – Week Three

One thing is for certain, we will always face uncertainties. We will be put in situations that make us uncomfortable. We will be asked to do things that push us beyond our current skill set. We will encounter problems that we don’t have a solution for. We will face trials that linger much longer then we would like. In these challenging times, most of us are acutely aware of our own inadequacies.

Be honest for a moment. What is your first reaction when you face the type of situations listed above? What do you do when you feel inadequate? Do you give up? Yield to shame? Run away? Stop? Pull back? Overcompensate? Or do you press in?

If you are like me, often your feelings of inadequacy hold you back. Not only does this keep us from living out our full potential, but it opens a dangerous door to pride. In his book, Didn’t See it Coming, author Carey Nieuwhof poses an interesting question, “Is it possible that pride emerges out of place of insecurity?” Listen to his answer, “Absolutely. In fact, for most of us, that’s exactly where it breeds.”

The first time I was faced with the idea that insecurity and pride are linked was significant for me. I don’t remember most of the teaching I heard fifteen years ago, but I do remember visiting a small church in Kentucky and the pastor preaching on the subject of pride. He taught that pride is not always loud and bold, but it can also come in the form of our insecurities.

Initially, this thought didn’t sit well with me. I liked to see myself as humble, staying under the radar, and being a great servant. Even though my first reaction was to disagree, it didn’t take long before I realized how true this lesson was. You see, insecurity is really all about me – how I feel, what I can or cannot do, and what others think about me. It shows I am depending on my own strength and ability.

Each time we are faced with our insufficiencies, we have a choice. We can see our short-comings as a hindrance or as an opportunity. When we focus on our own lack of abilities it will quickly lead us to insecurity and pride. On the other hand, if we understand that our weaknesses can be a catalyst for God to display His strength, it can instead lead us to confidence and humility.

I would encourage you to take a few minutes to read 1 Corinthians chapter 1. Here Paul makes a clear distinction between the strength and wisdom of the world and the strength and wisdom of God. He points out that often those who have natural abilities, talents, or status see God and His ways as foolish. They are dependent on themselves instead of desiring God and looking to Him for strength. On the opposite side, God works through those who the world might see as weak or foolish in order to show His power. When a person is known to be weak or unable, God’s power is most clearly seen.

Why this upside-down approach? Paul explains, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:30 NASB) Our Christian work is not about us looking good; it is about displaying God. While we tend to see our inadequacies as a hindrance, God does not view them that way. Our weakness does not stop God from working, but rather sets the stage for Him to show off.

In another letter to the Corinthian church, Paul discusses a challenge that God chose not to remove from his life. God reminded Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) Paul learned to not only accept his weakness but to boast in it. He found even in the times he personally was weak, in God he was strong.

The same is true for each of us, but we have a choice. When we feel inadequate, how do we respond? Do we allow our inadequacies to stop us or to press us into God? Do we hold back or do we boast in our shortcomings? Do we play it safe or do we allow God to display His greatness through us?