Too Completely Inadequate

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.