Serving When We Feel Inadequate
By: Kristen L. McNulty
Reprint rights available on request. Email the author at kristenmcnulty@hotmail.com.
I don't care who you are, how much education you have, how knowledgeable of the Bible you are, how shy you can be or how unprepared or inadequate you feel- God can and will use you to further His kingdom. God isn't looking for super spiritual Christians only or those who seem to have it all together, He wants to use you and I!
I know that in reality it is hard to comprehend that when you feel inadequate, afraid or are filled with doubts, but the truth is God wants to use you here and now, wherever you are and however you feel.
Called To Get In The Game
We didn't become Christians in order to just sit on the bench and be a cheerleader for others who are serving God, no, God wants every one of us in the game. If you are a believer and you still have breath in your lungs, God has a purpose for you which includes serving in the Kingdom. Flipping over to Ephesians 2, starting at verse 8:
"God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." Ephesians 2:8-10
Let me rephrase that last verse for you: you are God's masterpiece. He created you anew in Christ Jesus, so you could do the good things he planned for you long ago. So the question is, are you actively engaged in doing the good things he planned for you? Are you serving in ministry? Are you actively loving on all those around you? Are you spreading the Good News? Are you letting your light shine? Are you doing the things that He puts on your heart or are you ignoring His calling?
Empowered by His Spirit
I know that there are some people listening who are thinking, "Kristen, you have absolutely no clue. God cannot use me because of my shyness of my lack of abilities or family circumstances or __________ fill in the blank." If that's you that I just described, let me say that I'm not here to condemn you. I can completely understand because I've had those thoughts myself. I've often doubted God's call on my life, the ministries He's called me to and the roles He's called me to carry out. I come from a divorced family. I've never been to Bible school. I can be very introverted and shy. I have doubts. I'm unsure of myself. And yet God continues to use me. Because an incredible thing happens when we feel inadequate but still serve anyway: God comes in and the Holy Spirit empowers us to do things we could have never done or accomplished on our own!
The Apostle Paul discovered this to be true when God told him:
"My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." 2 Cor. 12:9
The Incredible Things God Can Do
So no matter where you are today, let me encourage you to not be afraid to let God use you. It's okay to feel unprepared. It's okay to feel inadequate. If you were to talk to most people actively serving God in ministry, they would likely tell you there are many days when they feel the same. But an incredible thing happens when we feel this way, but don't allow it to stop us, we see God step in and do incredible things! When we are weak, God fills us with His strength. When we lack the words to say, the Holy Spirit guides our speech. When we feel fearful, God gives us boldness. The Bible is a testimony to how God uses imperfect people to turn this world upside down and grow the kingdom. The same God who took someone who denied Jesus and turned him into an evangelist and who took timid Gideon and his tiny army to see defeat over a mighty army, can come into our lives and do incredible things when we allow Him too!
In closing I'd like to read an interesting piece that was printed on the back of HM Magazine:
"David was the youngest son of a shepherd, but he became the greatest king of Israel. Paul ardently persecuted the early church, but he became the one who would spread the Gospel to the Gentiles. Mary was an ordinary teenage girl who became the mother of the Messiah. There are times in our lives when things seem almost hopeless' but God wants to use us all for great purposes. He does not look at our current condition, but at what we have the potential to become. We should view others and ourselves in the same way...We should try to view all things with the faith and hope that God can and will transform us into the people He wants us to be."
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