I remember how terrified I was the first time I had to preach. I was seriously questioning whether I even had the ability to make it to the end of the sermon without stumbling along the way, let alone do it in a way that would be edifying to the audience.
Often, we are intimidated to do certain things because we feel inadequate. We have an idea of what kind of qualifications a particular action would require, and, after some self-examination, we conclude that we are not good enough.
When God commissioned Moses to lead Israel out of captivity, Moses asked, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Ex 3:11) Like him, we also tend to feel that we do not have what it takes. Maybe not me. Someone else should do it. Moses was so insecure about his suitability that even after God gave him a couple of miraculous signs, he still said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else” (Ex 4:13).
Why do we do this? What is the source of such insecurity? The answer is that feelings of inadequacy are born out of constant comparison with others.
There is a sense, in which it is good, and even recommended, to evaluate whether we are qualified enough to perform certain tasks. We need to be objective to recognise that sometimes is best to stay put, and let others act, because if we don’t, the consequences will be unpleasant, maybe even tragic. When firemen seek to save a man from a burning building, the last thing they need is a bystander that is trying to help, but who knows nothing about rescue interventions and is wearing no protective gear.
I have this scene stuck in my head from about fifteen years ago watching the auditions for American Idol. What struck me was how many participants were completely oblivious to their lack of talent. Aside from the occasional participant who was showing potential, the majority were embarrassing themselves. It was humiliating. Following the audition, most of these people were in total disbelief to hear that they sucked, and often declared that they had a beautiful voice, but that everybody else failed to appreciate it. They chose delusion, instead of objectively processing the feedback.
Some people are unaware of their inadequacy, and what they need is a more accurate perception of their capabilities, in order to stop them from getting in trouble.
In addition to avoiding to make a mess of things, felling inadequate also helps one in staying humble. In Luke 14:8-9, Jesus explains why it is wise to approach things with a humble spirt:
When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.
It you are to misjudge your potential, it is better to err on the inadequacy side than to think more of yourself, and then to be humiliated. So, obviously, there is a positive side to acknowledging inadequacy.
And yet, we can easily use this to justify excuses. It is not my place to do this or that because I am not gifted enough, or experienced enough. We hear of outstanding people who seemed to have been born to do great things. With relative ease, or so it seems, they have become leaders, champions, and heroes. And when we try to measure up to such exceptional achievements, we tend to say with Moses, “Lord, please send someone else.”
A feeling of inadequacy is a constant struggle in my life. Should I preach? Should I teach a Bible study? Should I write? These are just some of the questions that keep buzzing around in my head, and to which my first instinct is to answer with a NO.
Starting this blog, for example, represents overcoming the fear that I am not good enough of a writer to do this. Perhaps I am not. But even if I have the gift, most likely, I will never reach the level of Challies and Mohler. And that is fine, because I believe that if I seek to write for his glory, God will bless my service.
The cause of the gospel moves forward not just through the actions of the few incredibly gifted, but also through the determination of the many ordinary servants. Not every pastor can be John MacArthur or John Piper, nor should they. God works through a variety of men and circumstances.
Often, God uses ordinary people in extraordinary ways. The disciples were simple folks, and yet God did amazing things through them. When Peter and John stood before the Sanhedrin, the elders and teachers of the law were bewildered. “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished” (Acts 4:13).
However, it is not only the prospect of something exceptional that should encourage us to overcome the feeling of inadequacy. There is much value in small and less noticeable actions as well. The Bible briefly mentions a widow, whose name is not even given, who cared for Elijah during a severe famine. And, let’s not forget that Paul was effective in his ministry because he had an entourage of faithful people around him, like Tertius, Aquila, Priscila, Tychicus, and many others, whom we do not know much about besides that they were co-workers with him.
As Christians, we need to overcome unhealthy feelings of inadequacy that prevent us from serving God. We don’t want to be in the situation that we arouse God’s anger with our excuses, the way Moses did (Ex 4).
This solution is avoiding the extremes. Don’t be a fool and jump in the water if you don’t know how to swim, but don’t swing all the way in the other extreme and wait until you are at Michael Phelps’s level, in order to cross the length of a swimming pool. You can do a couple of laps in the pool, even if you are a basic swimmer. And, if you keep at it, gradually you will improve, and once you become a stronger swimmer, you can cross a river or a lake. But, to be fair, while you will keep on improving, chances are you are never going to crush Phelps’s records. So what? Does that mean there is no point in swimming? Far from it. One day you may be in a boat that sinks, and not only will you not drown, but you might save someone else’s life.
If this is true of swimming, how much more when the eternal destiny of souls hangs in the balance. We should always keep in mind that Jesus said that the workers are few. And by few, he was not talking about a shortage of exceptionally talented individuals, but few in general. We all can, and must, pitch in to bring in the harvest.
Perhaps the greatest encouragement comes from the fact the God delights in using ordinary people like you and I. Just look at what Paul says in 1 Cor 1:26-29:
Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.
What he says is that while there were some who were wise, influential, and of noble birth, most of them were not, and that God chose even the foolish, the weak, the lowly and the despised to do his work. To those who desire to serve him, God gives the ability to do so.
So, instead of saying maybe no me, seek to be sensitive to God’s will in your life, and find encouragement in the fact that he is pleased with those who serve him faithfully. Teach, preach, write, sing, do charity, share the gospel, or start a Bible study group, even if you are not the most gifted or experienced person. Seek God’s guidance, first, and when he shows you what you need to do, then obey him.