TOO COMPLETELY INADEQUATE
THEME: GOD USES THE INADEQUATE TO DO THE EXTRAORDINARY.
I played in the outfield for the first three years of organized baseball. Not that I was the fastest, or had the best arm or glove. The fact with that I was out there because no one would hit it out there. I graduated in the bottom five of my class. It could have been the last spot, but they did not list everyone. In fact, I was not supposed to graduate high school, but my English teacher gave me a 50 because of mercy. During elementary school, I had to go to special help; I had to attend speech therapy. I had to sit in the front row during the class picture with all the girls because I was always the smallest and shortest boy in my grade. When I finished high school, I could not even get into community college. All through my life, I have been the slowest, smallest, lest talented person in every grade and group.
Even when I am trying to be sophisticated, I am failing. While I was living in Texas, a friend of mine invited me to go to the opera. I felt this would provide some needed culture for me. So I dressed up, read up, and attended the opera. Everyone there was nicely dressed. There was class in the building. This provided me with a great sense of accomplishment and importance. Something that was important to me, since I never felt this in my life before. So I was prancing through the opera house. Holding my head up high, I was someone, somebody. I was at the opera. This was half of the problem. Holding that head up too much. As I was walking all the women were smiling at me. Thinking in my head, that I was looking good, and they were wishing to be able to be sitting next to me. I finally looked down, and I was shocked. My fly was figuratively down to my knees. It was completely and widely opened to the world, with my green boxers advertising to the world. Needless to say, life has caused me to feel very inadequate. I do not feel good at much. I have failed over and over again. Sometimes I feel so inadequate in life.
Maybe you do too. Maybe you have not had the best upbringing or opportunities. Maybe you have not be a gifted athlete or been gifted with great intelligence. Maybe you have put yourself down, you have been afraid, and you have been discouraged to do much because you do not feel that you have a lot of talent. Maybe you have a ton of talent but no one has worked with you or encouraged you. You had parents that you could never promise or a spouse that only puts you down. Maybe you life with someone that is so insecure that they belittle you to make themselves feel superior. You know what I am talking about—the person who cannot praise someone else because they do not have enough confidence in themselves. The husband or wife that is always negative about any idea you have to improve yourself. The person who rather sits on the couch and complains but never does anything to change himself. These are the people who feel inadequate. You feel this why too. You stay in your dead end job because you are not sure you can do more. You stay in your comfort zone because it is safe. You do not dream because you have learned in life, that you just do not feel that you have what it takes to be successful. Many of us when we look in the mirror at night wish that we were better than we are. We have allowed ourselves to be suppressed by the feelings of inadequateness.
But don’t you want to overcome this feeling of inadequacies. Do you want to feel confidence that you can overcome and be successful in life? Do you want to remove this pain from you life. If you do, the Bible can certainly help. If we are to overcome the feelings of being inadequate, we must realize that we are the perfect people in the eyes of God. God is not looking for the most talented, the smartest, the biggest, or the most privileged. He is looking for those people who will follow him. Sometimes in church we even buy into the mindset of the world. We look for talent when God is looking at the heart. The heart of the man is most important with the Lord. Because God does not need our strength and ability to work wonders, he needs hearts given to him. Paul says “And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:9-10). Paul realizes that it is not his talent or ability in life that counts. It is the Lord Jesus. You do not have to be the top of your class to do great things. You do not have to be the fastest to win the game. God is in the business of using weak people to declare his glory.
I have a friend that when he was a child his mother passed away. The family continued for three years, but than his dad died also. Around this time, my friend’s body was severely sick. He had no education, he was tied to a bed for a few years. He could not walk be himself. He struggled in life in a children’s home. Without any family or friends, it was just him. He also had severe speech impediment. He was never sure if he would make it out of his teenage years. A boy that no one wanted, a boy with no education, and boy with no communication skills, married a beautiful woman, grew the Lord’s body in a small town from 80 members to 300 members. And this one friend, that had no strength, talent, or ability by the world’s standards worked tirelessly on his faith. This friend is Burnice Wesbrooks. You do not have to be the most talented; you just have to be the most willing.
No one when Burnice was a child would have guessed at the impact he has had in the church. He has helped numerous men go into the ministry and be successful. I am not the first nor will be the last. But people never dreamed that David, the boy would someday rule an empire. In fact, he was the last person people would have thought would become the king of Israel. David’s own father never believed David was meant to be king. When Samuel came to the house to anoint the future king of Israel, David’s dad did not even invite him into the house. David was out in the fields tending the sheep. It never crossed his mind that this small boy would become a great man of Israel. So as Jesse parades his sons before Samuel, he picks the boys that are the biggest, strongest, smartest, in other words, the most talented. But in Jesse’s eyes, David is inadequate to be king. He is just not good enough. But the way man looks at talent and the way God looks at talent is different. The Bible says “But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Are these all the children?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep." Then Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here. So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is he. (1 Sam. 16:7, 11-12). God is not concerned with the outward appearance of the man. He is not looking for talent; he is looking for a good heart. God needs good hearts, not talented people for his work.
When I graduated High School, I cannot write a complete sentence. I did not even know what a complete sentence was. This idea of a verb and a noun having to work together to make a complete thought, this never crossed my mind. For years, and I still do, I feel very inadequate about my writing skills. I make mistakes in spelling, in verb agreement, and in expressing myself through the written word. I just do not believe that I have been blessed with writing skills. But I also realized that God does not need me to have writing skills. He needs a heart willing to write on his behalf. So I still remember the first time, I was ever published in the Gospel Advocate. I received this package in the mail from the company. I thought it was some fliers or advertisement material. I had no clue what was inside. As I opened the package, I saw three copies of the publication. I take one and opened it up. There was my name. I almost cried on the spot. I ran open and could not wait to tell Charity. I was so happy that we went out to dinner to celebrate. This might seem foolish to you that I cared this much. But to a young man that could not even write to be published in a magazine as historical as the Advocate it meant a lot. Feeling inadequate is never an excuse to not serve the Lord. He does need my skills, he needs my heart.
This is why God choose Moses for the job. Moses felt inadequate to rescue the people out of Egypt. When God approached his, Moses made his case. He was not good enough to do the job. Look at what Moses says in Exodus 4:10 “Then Moses said to the LORD, "Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since Thou hast spoken to Thy servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." And the LORD said to him, "Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him dumb or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say." Moses does not feel talented enough for the work, but God reminds him that he does not need talent, he needs hearts. He will train him, provide for him, and make him successful.
So the next time you are asked to do something in church, do not make an excuse. We know a lot of times, you would like too, but you feel inadequate. You are afraid of the work. The next time you have an opportunity in life to advance yourself. Do not be afraid. Do not be insecure. God can provide the ability. You can overcome the feeling of inadequacy. God is bigger than you think. You can fulfill your dreams and goals. Do not allow anything to hold you back. You are completely able to do whatever has put in your path.
A young boy joined up in the army. He was looking for a sport to be involved in. He went to see the boxing coach of the army. I want to be a boxer, he told him. Do you have any experience the coach asked? No, the boy said. Well too bad, I got enough people will more talent and experience than you to work with. But as the boy was walking out, one of the assistants pulled the boy aside and said “I will work with you.” In just a few years, George Foremen won the gold medal in the Olympics and soon he became the heavy weight champion of the world. Do not allow the feelings of inadequacy hold you back. God does not need you to have talent; he needs you to have heart.
