Fear feeds on statements that start with “I am not enough…”
I am not enough to overcome my current body image.
I am not enough to win this race.
I am not enough to climb this mountain.
O, but you are!
As Saul equipped David with his own personal armor(1 Samuel 17:38), I can’t help but imagine if David had his own moment of inadequacy.
…”I am not enough to slay this giant” he would say.
Only some day, long before the day he met Goliath, David learned to overcome his own inadequacies.
My Own Inadequacy
In the summer of 2012, I found myself working at a faith-based children’s camp as a week long overnight Counselor.
I can’t tell you how true those words seemed to me even as I began staff training, “Ethan, you are not enough”.
Truth be told, I didn’t have a passion for kid’s at the time nor had I developed the patience to appreciate them.
With the reality of the upcoming summer looming ahead of me, I decided solemnly that I would fast.
Not simply fast for my own spiritual journey, but the journey of the students I was about to meet that year.
So for five days I ate no solid foods and really only had a few cups of juice and a glass of milk or two for the entire experience.
Yes, other counselors looked at me like I was weird.
Yes, my friends told me to stop so I could have more focus during the training, yet I truly needed help from God, so I persisted onward.
Truly, the summer of 2012 became one of the most transformational experiences of my life.
Applications
There is nothing special about the idea that I fasted, but I believe God did honor the heart behind my actions.
The truth is I’m not a psychologist or a world class personal development coach. If you are feeling you do not measure up to the obstacles, goals, or fears that lie before you, I do not have the training nor the clarity to talk you through each of them one by one and champion you through each one.
What I have learned is our fears of inadequacy get a little bit smaller every time we decide to exercise our faith.
Every chance I got to open my Bible rather than my mouth and feed my spirit rather than my body, my fears were starved and my faith grew strong.
David decided to focus on the abilities he had that day, rather than trying to wear Saul’s armor into battle.
The key difference is where we put our focus.
How will you focus on your faith today to overcome the challenges you face?