A feeling that we are all familiar with is the feeling of inadequacy. All of us at some point in our lives have felt helpless, insufficient, and like we don’t measure up. Feelings of inadequacy may cause us to avoid healthy challenges. Having low self esteem hurts our relationships, and comparison undermines contentment. Throughout our lives this feeling of inadequacy will creep up on us from time to time, but what so many of us do not realize is that we have the power to combat that feeling through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The first thing that we need to do is simply understand how God sees us. The scriptures say “We are His workmanship” – His MASTERPIECE (Eph 2:10). We are made in God’s own image (Gen 1:26-27). I believe that we sometimes have these feelings not because our problems are too great, but because our inner source of power is too low. Our spiritual recourses are insufficient to meet the demands of our complex and burdensome life. “And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give you life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you” (Rom 8:11). Paul is telling us that the same power that rose up Jesus from the grave is at work in the life of the Christian. Paul encourages us by saying “I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being” (Eph 3:16). Inner power in a Christian’s life depends upon our connection with the source of power. Most people (even Christians) don’t understand that the Christian life is a source of strength for living. They think of it as a load instead of a lift. Paul says after becoming a Christian we walk “in newness of life”. We have a new way of living and a new source of power in our lives. Paul through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit said “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength” (Phil 4:13). How? “His Divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence” (2 Pet 1:3).
Let the Lord turn your shortcomings into triumphs. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. The key is to look beyond our limitations to Jesus Christ’s total sufficiency. Only then can we experience confidence in our lives even when we are painfully aware or our shortcomings.