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Do You Feel Inadequate?
by Filoiann Wiedenhoff As a Christian do you feel inadequate? Unless you are superman I can assume that everyone at one time or another feels inadequate in something. It has to be true because we are all gifted and talented in different areas but not everyone is perfect in all areas accept God. God made us unique and different and gave us unique talents, gifts, abilities and also he gave us unique families, backgrounds and experiences that make us who we are today. That is because God purposely and divinely made us unique for a reason. One reason I believe is so that we would learn to work together, needing each other and helping one another as one unit and one body with Christ as the head. If our body only had feet we could walk but we couldn't grab or pick up things and the same with all hands. We could hold things, grab things but we couldn't get anywhere without feet and you get my drift. So what does this have to do with feeling inadequate? I'm giving you a visual demonstration that what you might perceive as adequate in someone else may be true but what you don't see is everyone has inadequacies in something because we are not perfect, no one is. The bible says we "all" fall short of the glory of God. Do you know what "All" in the Greek and Hebrew mean? It means "All". It means that no one is righteous no not one. We are all born sinful from the day Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden we as their offspring inherited their sin and sinful nature. It's important you understand this reality because without this understanding that we are sinful people and born inadequate you will never see the need for Christ's sufficiency. His whole purpose to be born was to die as a pure and perfect sacrifice. Christ's life, death and resurrection fulfilled God's requirement of Holiness and gave us the bridge back to God. Through Christ we have redemption and salvation. Not of ourselves that no man can boast but by grace through faith we have been saved. So now that I have laid the foundation that our inadequacy cannot be fulfilled on our own and that true sufficiency comes from Christ and Christ alone who makes us adequate, I can share some tips on how to receive this in your hearts and believe it by faith. Accept that you can't. Understanding that we can't do it on our own, we need Christ's power to help us. Also, that our inadequacy is part of who we are as sinful man or woman and to see ourselves soberly before God. We are not to look down on ourselves because in Christ we are precious and valuable but to view ourselves as one in need of Christ's sufficiency. The bible says that apart from Him we can do nothing but we can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens us. Christ is our sufficiency. Acknowledge that He Can: Acknowledging also means proclaiming and believing something to be true as in a testimony, that God through Christ has made us sufficient. We no longer stand in our own righteousness because our righteousness is filthy rags, but we stand in Christ's righteousness, which is enough. Act in Faith that He Already Has: Understanding we are sufficient in Christ is believing this truth by faith. That we can't but God can and working in us and through us according to His will through the Holy Spirit. The bible also says that we have been given "everything" for a life of godliness through Christ Jesus. Believe it and receive it by faith. Rest in Him: The bible also says that we are to come to Him all who are weary and burdened and He will give us rest. As we remember that we no longer have to strive but to rest in Him and His righteousness we can be confident in not only His power but His love and His sufficiency that Jesus really is enough! When I myself look at my inadequacies, I have to take my eyes off of myself and put them back on Christ. I have to remember that I'm not perfect but Christ's perfection and grace is sufficient for me and I also have to remind myself that when I am weak then I am strong because Christ's power rests upon me. Having this understanding empowers me to walk in Him, walk in His spirit and walk in His Holiness because it's not me but Christ living in me! I hope these words have encouraged you as it did me to rest in Christ's sufficiency and when you are experiencing those feelings of inadequacy, accept that you can't but God can and has in you and through you and that His grace is sufficient for you and that you can rest confidently in Him. If you are reading this and you don't know Jesus, know that Jesus knows you and desires to have a personal relationship with you and give you His salvation and His sufficiency. Receive him in your heart today, it will be the most important decision you have ever made. Read my testimony on my website and also instructions on how to receive salvation. Scripture References 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." NIV John 15:1-8 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes a so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." NIV Ephesians 2:8-10 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." NIV Filoiann M. Wiedenhoff is a pastor's wife,work at home mom, Womans Biblical Counselor, Bible Teacher and Writer. View her website for more articles http://filoiannwiedenhoff.com/ Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |