Not My Inadequacies

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit”, says the Lord. (Zechariah 4:6)

God is beyond your inadequacies.

As Christians, we tend to look at ourselves and stop God from actually using us, because we keep seeing our blemishes, our flaws, and then we focus on how inadequate we are, thus blocking Jesus from shining through our lives. Little do we know that in exactly that place where Satan has tried to attack Jesus through us, that is the exact place where Jesus shines more.

By His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

Because Jesus was wounded for our sakes, because He “became sin for us,” we have been redeemed and can now share in His inheritance: eternal life. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Are there moments in your existence when you think that Jesus cannot use you?

Let Jesus change your mindset. Moses had a speech defect, so he needed his brother Aaron to speak for him (Exodus 4:10-17; Context: Exodus 3-4). Jeremiah thought himself too young to be used (Jeremiah 1:4-11), while Timothy was admonished by Paul to have the courage to be a leader and an example to the other believers (1 Timothy 4:12).

Whether you are young or poor, old or rich, you are a sinner, and you will always fall short of the glory of God. It is only by His grace that you will be able to display Jesus’ character and glory. Apart from Him, you will be your same old self. (Romans 3:23, Ephesians 2:8-9, 1 Corinthians 1:26-31)

So what does this mean for you and me? Well, it’s the one thing I am learning daily: I have to cut me some slack. I have to realize that these are not my battles alone. Sure I’m the one fighting my own demons: my patterns of thought, my spending habits, my foolish decisions, but it is Jesus’ fight, at the heart of it.

It is because of Jesus that we, as Christians were saved (John 3:16); it is because of Jesus that the old is gone and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). It is His battle that we fight, and we need not be perfect; we need not rely on our own strengths.

So gather your courage and run to Him. Remember, you don’t have to be perfect to glorify Jesus. Just keep walking with Him. Just cling to Him. As you get to know Him more and more, He will make you able... To do the things He has given you to do.

Additional Readings:

Isaiah 53
Isaiah 58
Isaiah 6
Joshua 1:3-9