Say No To Inadequacy
Exo 4:10-17; Jer 1:5
It is true that experience from the past could leave someone with scars. Some of the scars can be listed as unhealthy self image and inadequacy. Inadequacy is the state or quality of being inadequate or lacking the quality that is required; it also means inability to deal with a situation or with life. Inadequacy keeps people stuck in the rut of the past without being able to move forward. Never ever insist on being inadequate with God
The high calling of God upon your life is more than whatever you have been through. You cannot afford to allow such to affect it. With God, where you are coming from and its scar on you cannot not be as important as where you are going. If you would learn to look away from the effect that the past has put on you, to consider where God is heading you towards, extraordinary things can happen. There were too many 'who am I' in the scriptures. You can also see what God did with David, Gideon, Saul. The importance placed on where you are headed is the reason why God formed you and why he is dealing with you.
Every one has his variety of of the scars which come of different reasons: sufferings from the past; social class; failure, emotional wounds. Serious as these scars might be, they cannot alter the plan of God, unless you so choose
God sets before everyone life and death (Gen 2:16-17; Deut 1:8, 21; 11:26; 30:15, 19) for instance, salvation is an offer; the blessings of salvation are offers; His call upon your life is an offer. Man can very well choose to reject God's offer. Man's destiny temporally and eternally hangs in a balance awaiting his decision
Though divine plan changes not, man can scheme himself out of the plan
Moses was really proving incorrigible in spite of the extra miles that God had gone with him. He was still uninfluenced. The thought in him are still set up against the knowledge of God.
Never say it is mere thought as it could make or mar your life.
God's approach in answer to Moses expression of inadequacy was from the angle of His creative power. ...who has made .... Have not I? ...go and I will be with you. Despite all these, Moses was still persistent to the extent of even asking God to send someone else.
Many in our time are still maintaining this wrong attitude. Lots are rejecting and burying the good design of God for them, simply because of the refusal to change That you fell doesn't mean you shouldn't rise. Lots are staying down; lots of the citizens of Zion are lying in the dust. The devil is being availed of the opportunity to rejoice, whereas it shouldn't be. Mic 7:8; Ps 30:1; You should rather let the Lord rejoice over you. Zeph 3:1; You should rather let him be pleased with you. How?
Never say I am not to the I am that I am.
You are what he says you are. You are what His grace has made you to be. 1Cor 15:10; All you need, is to know what he says. That should be it with you. Why?
The creature cannot know more than the creator.
He knew you, your coming challenges; your possible weaknesses and in spite of all, he designed you for a particular plan. He says, before I formed you in the womb, I knew you .... I distinguish you; I recognize you and in spite of what may come, I acknowledged you as fitting. Before you were born: I separated, dedicated, set you apart; I ordained: gave, assigned, designated you ....
He who made everything can do anything with what he has made in spite of the limitations. Though Moses was once mighty, Acts 7:22, and now slow ..., Exo 4:10; God is not limited by it. God asked him, who has made man? Have not I? Now therefore go .... If God says to the blind, I will show you; he should prepare to see. If God says to you, do, you should not say "I cannot"
Just as in Isa 10:15, the axe should not boast..., it also should not resist
You don't need excellence of speech or of wisdom 1Cor 2:2, 4-6; he has said I will give you a mouth p ..., Luke 21:15; 1Cor 11:6; If he is with you, he will do whatever he has spoken or promised.
Don't ever refuse or instruct God against his plan
In doing this you may be signing yourself out. Don't let the sense of inadequacy limit you. Don't ever ask him to send someone else because he could. Why should you cause your place to be given to another
Unbelief is the greatest sin; it grieves God
There is nothing as grieving as someone doubting you in spite of the extent you have gone to persuade. God is grieved and angered when things are not done the way he prescribed. 2Sam 6:7 and when the heart turns from him. 1Ki 11:9. Whatever he asks you to do, do it. Jn 2:4; If he says follow, don't choose other option. Luke 9:59-62. When things are done right, he is pleased. Heb 10:38; 11:6; Acts 15:28
You sign out of what God offers when you reject it. Moses could possibly have been the statesman - prophet and priest of Israel. His tongue and lips could have been healed or used just that way. He chose otherwise.
God will always propose great things to you. His definition should suffice for you without any attempt to look to your situation. Self distrust is a virtue that attracts God's help when moderate but a vice when pushed to an extreme.
God calls us to walk by faith in spite of where we are coming from or what we are having around us.
He is saying to you:
Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you (distinguished you; recognized you and in spite of what could come, acknowledged you as fitting); before you were born, I separated you (dedicated, set ŷou apart); I ordained (gave, assigned, designated) you to be specific in my plan.
You should not be anything less.
Say no to inadequacy.
HOW TO STAY CONNECTED WITH THE UNCHURCHED
He was the pastor of a large and growing outreach-oriented church. When he asked if we could meet and talk about reaching lost people, I was glad to carve out a lunch to meet him. After a few minutes of introductions, we ordered our food, and he launched into a barrage of questions all listed on his yellow pad of paper: "What outreach programs are working at your church?" "How do you get your board to invest more money in outreach?" "What is your best evangelistic sermon?" He fired question after question, and I tried to give helpful answers.
Right about the time our food came, I felt the Holy Spirit nudge me to ask him two very specific questions. I felt a little awkward because I knew he still had a big list of questions, but I looked at him and asked, "How much time do you spend in a normal week with people who are not yet followers of Jesus?" He looked at me, and then looked down at his food for an uncomfortable amount of time, saying nothing. Finally he looked up and locked eyes with me with a very sober look on his face. He did not speak, but simply lifted his right hand; placing the tip of his thumb against his pointer finger, he made a circle. He swallowed and said, "None! I am so busy doing ministry, I don't have time to invest in nonbelievers."
I asked my second question, "How many friends do you have that are not Christians?" The look in his eyes gave the answer—none!
My next words popped out of my mouth almost reflexively: "I don't think we need to talk about the rest of your questions right now. Would it be OK if we spent time talking about ways we can make sure we have significant time in our week set aside for relationships with nonbelievers?"
What followed was a great conversation about the challenges of staying connected with people who are not Christians, and how this gets more difficult the longer we are believers. This is true for pastors, church leaders and all Christians.
Since that day, I have consistently worked on making sure I always have a number of non-Christian friends and that I have regular time carved out to be with them. This means when these friends come to faith in Jesus, I have to expand my circle of friends again.
Here are some simple ways to battle this tendency to drift away from the very people who most need Christians in their life:
1. Try something new. I once joined a community soccer league just to build some new friendships with people outside of the church.
2. Evaluate your schedule. Once a week, look back and honestly assess how much time you spent with non-Christians. Adjust as needed.
3. Connect with old friends. Call people you have not connected with for months or even years. Seek to rekindle these friendships.
4. Serve in your community. Volunteer in a civic organization, a club, or some other community group. These hours could be more fruitful than time you serve at the church.
5. Enter their world. Ask a nonbelieving person you know if you can participate in something they enjoy. Hang out in their world.
6. Bridge relationships. Get to know a nonbeliever who is close with one of your Christian friends.
7. Bridge relationships among nonbelievers. Ask a friend who is not a Christian if you can meet and spend time with some of their friends.
8. Make your home a prayer hub. Let your neighbors know that you would be glad to pray for any joys or needs they have. You might be surprised how many non-Christians actually ask you to pray for them. This can lead to spiritual conversations and new friendships.
Ask yourself these two questions often:
How much time do I spend in a normal week with people who are not Christians?
How many friends do I have who are not Christians?
If you don't like your answers, do something about it!