This confidence makes sense in a way, we want someone who knows that they are able to handle the job of being president, but I also know that the candidates are all human—they all put their pants on one leg at a time like the rest of us. There have to be moment when the president feels like he doesn’t have the skill—when he lacks confidence or feel inadequate—not up to the task.
I imagine that Feeling inadequate is a pretty universal feeling it’s part of the rich tapestry of being a human and it is so often part of our faith experience- because at times God stretches us to grow and do things that we feel might be humanly impossible.
If you’ve ever been a parent you’ve probably felt inadequate. It seems like those feelings of inadequacy begin the moment you take that child home-- maybe it’s when you are responsible for changing that first diaper.
I began to realize that I wasn’t sure I was up the task the first time I tried to swaddle my daughter Alexis. When you’re at the hospital, your child emerges from the nursery in this tightly wrapped swaddle looking so comfortable and peaceful—but when you get home and try to swaddle your baby you realize maybe this baby thing is going to be a little bit harder-- within five minutes of the swaddle Alexis would have usually squirmed free.
Of course, it’s no longer a swaddle that flusters me but how can I possible raise my children to grow up to be adults who are kind, compassionate, respectful, open-minded, generous, hardworking, faithful people?
Our feelings of inadequacy can go anywhere. At work we might be challenged with a project that seems beyond our skill level or comfort zone. Here at church you might not feel up to the task when invited to consider a ministry that stretches you in a way you never thought.
When have you felt inadequate—at work, at home, here at church?
How many times have we felt like you want me to do what – have you looked at who you’re asking? I’m not educated enough, I’m not committed enough, I am not an expert at what you’re asking me to do.
The prophet Jeremiah is feeling a little bit like maybe he’s not up to the task to being the “prophet of the nations.”
I think if God were to appoint me prophet to the nations I just might consider becoming an atheist.
I love Jeremiah response, “Ah Lord, God, I don’t know how to speak, for I am only a boy.”
Underneath all that is Jeremiah is feeling how could I be a prophet for the nations- do I have the skills? I don’t think so
Well God gives Jeremiah a pep talk—“Oh Jeremiah—do not say I am only a boy”—you have been consecrated and formed and appointed by me to be the prophet of the nation-- I will equip you by putting in your mouth the words you will need and I will be with you to go wherever you go to deliver you.
And you know what with God at his back--Jeremiah sets out to be the prophet of the nations.
So God’s response to inadequacy is I believe in you, I will equip you, I have prepared from before you born for this.
But what about us—how do we respond when we lack confidence in our abilities--to our feelings of inadequacy? Look at what Jeremiah does, he drops those feelings it right back in God’s lap and say this is your problem—he has this conversation with God—he takes these feelings to prayer—but what about us—how do we respond to calls, to moments when we feel inadequate—not equipped --- do we take them to prayer?
I think these are moments that we can take steps of faith –that say I trust God— I trust you God that we will not do this alone—
I trust you God that you will be with me—
I trust you God that you have equipped me-, you have given me the tools to do what you are calling me to do.
It’s so hard though to sometime trust that God will be with us in our difficult moments.
When I set out to go to seminary- I wasn’t sure I could do it—I hadn’t been in school for 8 years—my background was Phys. Ed-wasn’t exactly the degree that people going to seminary get to prepare them.
In fact during an admission interview at seminary- one of the professors said –we’ve never had a Phys. Ed. Major before and my response was if I knew I was doing this ten years ago—I wouldn’t have been a Phys ed.
Anyway- when I arrived on the campus of Virginia Seminary in the fall of 2003-I felt like I wasn’t prepared to be there. I had this 1,000 lb gorilla on my back--I can remember the first paper I wrote it was for church history was about a women named Perpetua— I had put my all and all into the paper and I thought this was going to be the bench mark for me whether or not I could hack it and get a getting a seminary education and be a priest.
I remember the day I got it back—late one afternoon I went to my seminary mailbox in the administration building—there in my mailbox was my paper—I was really afraid what I might find on it— as I walked down the street back to the library I got up the courage to look at it— I flipped to the back page not an A but not a C, D or F-- a B+ and in that moment emotion welled up in me I knew all the things that God had promised Jeremiah that day thousands of years ago- that God was with me—that God was equipping to be the priest I would become—that he had already equipped me to the this and that I would never do it alone, but that God and I would do it together.
When we step outside our comfort zones to do something we don’t feel adequately prepared to do—that always leaves a little room for God to work in and through us—Paul say in his 2 letter to the Corinthians that my power is made perfect in weakness. God can work in us even more so when we don’t feel quite equipped to answer our calls whether that at our places of employment in our families or in our church life. We can know the power of God in those moments when we don’t feel we have the right stuff.
The Psalm today ends with these words: “For you are my hope O Lord God—my confidence since I was you. I have been sustained by you ever since I was born—from my mother’s womb you have been my strength.”
The Psalmist doesn’t have any problems with confidence I that’s because he knows the source of his strength is rooted in his relationship with God.
Can we believe that God breaks in and is our strength our sustainer?
Where do you feel inadequate? Where do you need God?
Maybe God needs to hear from you?
I dare you to throw it in his lap! And then wait-- Because his answer will be I believe in you, I will equip you, I have prepared you for this even before you born and I will go with.
AMEN
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