 Feeling Inadequate?
Have you ever felt inadequate, unworthy, or unqualified for the task that God has called you to do? You are not alone. Nearly every Christian minister has felt that way at one time or another. Not only Christians, but even many of the Old Testament Patriarchs and Prophets felt inadequate, unworthy, and unqualified when they were first called to their ministry. But all of us have many ups and downs as we journey through life. Each of us have slipped and fallen on occasions. Every one of us has made our share of mistakes. Each of us has good reason to feel inadequate. But our inadequacy is more than compensated by His adequacy.
You need to know this: you, as a follower of Christ, are definitely called into the ministry. A simple study of the New Testament makes it clear that all Christians are called into the ministry. This is evident in the Book of Acts as well as in the Book of First Corinthians. Paul uses the analogy of a human body, stating that we are the Body of Christ. He conveys the truth that every member of the body has a function and if any part of the human body doesn't function according to its' purpose it will negatively impact other parts of the body.
The reason many churches are not as effective as they should be is because there are too many parts of the body not functioning as God has ordained them to function. If nothing else, you are called to the Ministry of Reconciliation (II Cor.5:17-21). Our Lord has commanded each of us to spread the Gospel (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15). He has intended for each child of God to speak out and tell others about what He has done in our own lives. (I Pe.2:9-10).
Don't forsake your calling. To forsake your calling is to be walking in disobedience. Remember, the gifts and calling of God is without repentance (Romans 11:29). If God has called you into the ministry, and let me reassure you that He has called you into the ministry, He hasn't changed His mind. It is common for the children of God to not feel qualified or worthy to fulfill the commission that Christ has delegated to them. God's army isn't perfect. It never has been and God knows that. He's working with flawed people. Even in Scripture, God used very flawed individuals, many of which felt very unqualified.
Remember Moses? When God approached Him from the fiery bush, Moses was eighty years old and felt very unqualified and inadequate. Moses offered up many excuses. He said, "Who am I that I should go?" (Ex.3:11). After God dealt with that excuse, Moses said, "But they won't listen to me" and "they won't believe me." (Ex.4:1). Once again, the Lord spends a few verses telling Moses what to do to persuade the people. But Moses' next excuse was: "But I don't speak good" (Ex.4:10). By this time, God was getting angry with Moses. He told Moses to take Aaron with him to speak for him.
Now think about how unqualified and inadequate Moses felt. Yet in the end, God used him very mightily. Through his obedience to the call upon his life, he became one of the greatest heroes of the Old Testament. It doesn't matter what your excuses are, God has an answer for each of them. God has called you into the ministry, just yield to that calling and allow Him to use you according to His will. No, you may not have as spectacular of a ministry as Moses did, but begin in your own Jerusalem and just watch and see what God does through you (Acts 1:8-9).
Even Joshua apparently had feelings of uncertainty and fear. In the first chapter of Joshua God has to repeatedly tell Joshua to "be strong and courageous". Apparently, Joshua felt somewhat weak and fearful about the task that had been delegated to him. Three times in four verses God said, "Be strong and of good courage" (1:6), "be thou strong and very courageous" (1:7), "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed" (1:9). God's repetition of this command shows how inferior and inadequate Joshua must have felt.
Saul, the first king of
Solomon became a king a young age and he, too, felt inadequate. He knew that he didn't have the knowledge and experience of his father David. Yet the job of being king was suddenly thrust upon him. When God asked him what he wanted, all he could ask for was wisdom, indicating he felt that he was in over his head. He could've asked God for wealth, long life, or any number of other things. But his concern was for God's people that he was now responsible for. His request for wisdom sprang from his feeling of inadequacy.
Jeremiah also felt inadequate and unqualified. He had his own set of excuses, telling God that he couldn't speak well and that he was too young (Jer.1:6). Yet God persuaded him to yield to the calling upon his life. There are many others in Scripture and throughout history who have presented excuses to God why they cannot do what God has called them to do. Let me urge you once again. You are called into the ministry.
Your shortcomings and inadequacies don't mean a thing compared to the all sufficiency and ultra-adequacy of our Lord Jesus Christ. It doesn't matter how shy you are, how unqualified you may feel, or how unworthy you think you are. God has called you and He will overcome your shortcomings. The question you should ask yourself is not, "am I called into ministry?", but "what is my calling", and "where does God want me to serve". Then apply yourself to the tasks that He sets before you in service unto Him. Don't forsake your calling. |
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