The Myth of Inadequacy (and the Power of God)

I had a great idea for this post, but couldn't seem to get my thoughts to flow. After talking to a good friend about it, I decided to take a completely different path. I am grateful for insightful friends.

Inadequacy is a common feeling, but it isn't even a real thing. It is easy to feel as though we "aren't good enough." The truth of the matter is that God provides a way for His children to do anything so long as it is for a righteous cause. 

The great prophet Moses, at the beginning of his ministry, felt as though he wasn't fit for the job. He even told the Lord upon his calling, "I am not eloquent . . . but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue." The Lord responds, "Who had made man's mouth? . . . Now therefore go, and I will be thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say" (Exodus 4:10-12). The Lord reminds Moses that He created us and is omnipotent. We may feel inadequate, but with the Lord's aid we are not. 

A similar thing happened right after Moses passed and Joshua was called on by the Lord. He told Joshua three times to "be strong and of a good courage" because "the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest" (Joshua 1:5-9). Doing what is required of us can be scary at times, but it shouldn't be because God is always with us. 

We can do anything, so long as we trust in God. Our "inadequacies" are made up for by the Lord's loving mercy. Robert D. Hales said ". . . we need not be afraid or feel inadequate. The Savior has promised that He will make us equal to His work" (Being a More Christian Christian, October 2012). The Lord does not require anything of us that we can not accomplish with His help. He provides a way.

An excerpt from my most recent religion class paper.

To me, the Atonement is a sacred and a wonderful succession of acts that were performed in order to allow each of us to obtain eternal happiness through exaltation. How wonderful it is that we have this opportunity! How grateful I am that the Lord Jesus Christ allowed us a path to repent of our sins and to be comforted in our sorrows. Russel M. Nelson in a talk titled “Decisions forEternity” in October 2013 stated that “True change—permanent change—can come only through the healing, cleansing, and enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.” This means that the only way to get rid of sin and to become a changed and a better person is to apply the Atonement to our lives and to repent and seek forgiveness through it. Christ has already performed the Atonement, why should we not use it? Wouldn’t it be a mockery to not repent, and to not ask for help? Doing so would signify that we think that our sins or our pains are above what the Lord has already handled for us, which is certainly not true. He says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). How grateful I am that all of my sins, doubts, insecurities, heartbreaks, frustrations, disappointments, and so on that create a hole can be taken away from me and can be replaced. I can be filled with the love of the Savior. Let us not forget that the Lord Jesus Christ carried the pains of the world in the garden, gave up his life on the hill, and was risen again at the third day, and it was all for us.

Carpe diem.

That phrase used to bother me. A lot. For some reason, I have always thought it was a phrase used by hippies to justify whatever stupid thing they were doing.

But lately I've been contemplating more what it means to "seize the day."

It means making the most of things. It means doing something in spite of your fears. It means being brave. It means taking control of your life.

Carpe diem, y'all.

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