Joes edit

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. (Romans 12:3)

Whenever I have the opportunity to do anything I feel called to, whether it is writing, leading, or pastoring, I have a mix of feelings; confidence that “I was born for this,” and inadequacy that “I am completely out of my depth”. While overconfidence is unattractive and causes us to do things in our own strength, feeling inadequate only leads to paralysis and an unwillingness to step up and give it a go. What is the correct way to view ourselves?

This scripture says the right way to think of yourself is with sober judgement in accordance with faith. We so easily swing from one end of the pendulum to the other. From “Did you see that? I am amazing!” to “Don’t look at me. I have nothing to offer.”  The pendulum swing is emotionally tiring and we are all susceptible to it. We’ve all experienced some levels of success and had our share of failure. Sober judgement is realising God has uniquely gifted you, yet there is always someone more accomplished. You’re good, but there’s still a lot to learn. We are called to have a balanced view of our ability.

Here’s where it gets exciting though; God doesn’t call us based on our ability; He calls us based on His ability. At times our strengths are a great asset to our calling, but often God’s calling can seem contradictory to our natural ability. These are the times when God wants us to respond in faith. Do we really believe that He could accomplish great things through us even despite our weaknesses?

In high school I hated the subject English; particularly the writing tasks which I found so frustrating I’d often end up in tears, not being able to finish assessments. I never expected in my wildest dreams God would ask me to be a writer. Today writing brings me so much joy. I feel the presence of God as I write and the process draws me to the feet of Jesus.

When finishing my first book Daughter Wait! there were many times I wanted to give up. I felt inadequate. It was too hard, too many rejections, too many processes and I just didn’t think I could do it. But every time I stopped and gave up, the word from God came back to me. He had called me to write and I knew I had to finish regardless of whether anyone would read it, like it, or if it was any good. People’s response to my writing was up to them. My job was just to be obedient and do the thing He placed in my hand to do.

At some point, we have to trust God with our weaknesses, let go of our own ability and focus on who we believe He has called us to be. This leaves us completely reliant on God, and right where we need to be.

Our talents are not given by God to impress others. They are for us to steward for His glory. We have each been entrusted with something to bring into this world. To fulfil our potential, we must be in close relationship with God. He gives us gifts to use for His glory so that we will return to Him for the instructions on how to best use them. Once again it is about obedience and trust. Our confidence should be in Him, not in our own ability.

It feels easier to hide sometimes; no critiques, no fans; yet Jesus calls us to bring His light into this world. The right way to live is with great humility and great confidence in God.

One of my favourite poems was written by Marianne Williamson and made famous by Nelson Mandela in his inaugural speech in 1994.

Our Deepest Fear

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves,
‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.”

In all that we do, I pray it is His face that is remembered when our faces, words and songs are long forgotten. I pray we would do great things, yet never become proud; that our lives would be lived for God alone and He would receive all the glory.

Questions to Ponder:

1. What would it look like to have the courage to step into what you believe God has called you to do?
2. What do you fear? Or what is holding you back?
3. What is one small step you could take in faith to step into who God has called you to be?

Prayer

Father help me to have courage as I step into all You have created me to be. Help me to boldly let Your light shine. Keep my heart humble and continue to draw me into a deeper relationship with You. Help me to use my gifts for Your glory.

Amen

Further reading

Galatians 1:10

 

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. (Romans 12:3)

Whenever I have the opportunity to do anything I feel called to, whether it is writing, leading, or pastoring, I have a mix of feelings; boldness that “I was born for this,” and inadequacy that “I am completely out of my depth”. Sound familiar? Continue reading →