The feeling of inadequacy is a state of mind where we think our best is not good enough. It often starts in childhood when our parents, teachers, or others we considered important, failed to appreciate and affirm us or compared us negatively to someone else. No statistics can measure the number of dreams abandoned because of this emotion.
Paul writes: 'By ourselves we are not qualified in any way to claim that we can do anything. Rather, God makes us qualified. He has also qualified us to be ministers of a new promise, a spiritual promise, not a written one' (2 Corinthians 3:5-6 GWT).
Many of the Bible heroes struggled with feelings of inadequacy, so we're not alone! Moses told God, 'I can't go and talk to Pharaoh, send someone else' (see Exodus 3:11; 4:13). The real story of these Bible heroes is that they didn't let their fear rule them, and they said yes to God. They stepped out in faith and said in essence, 'Lord, I am depending on you for my success.' Our human ego likes to look good and claim the credit. But God puts us into a position of dependence on him so that the credit for our success goes to him - and that makes an amazing testimony for our lives!
So what now? Consider these two truths: (1) Without God, you are inadequate. (2) Infused with God's strength, you are adequate to any challenge he calls you to face.