Day 68 – No, You Probably Can’t Do It!
Ephesians 3:7-8 (The Message)
This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God’s way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities.
Ever felt distinctly under-prepared, under-skilled, out of your depth? I have and continue to feel like this more often than I would like to. One distinct memory is the very first time I led a workshop for a group of successful CEOs. I remember being in the lift of a swanky London hotel, and knowing that when I came out of the doors on the other side, the show began. I remember that time in the lift well. I felt small. Nervous. Insignificant even. I also know I desperately leaned into God at that moment. There was little point pretending in front of him – Lord, I feel out of my depth right now. Send your spirit and help me do my job well, and represent you. Give me wisdom, give me strength.
How comforting it is that we are in such good company. Paul, who wrote over a quarter of the New Testament describes himself as the least qualified, and what he has achieved had nothing to do with his natural abilities. Phew.
Now I spend my working life helping individuals, teams and leaders to lean into their natural strengths and talents, discovering who they are made to be, and maximising on this potential. I totally believe in this philosophy. I believe that God has given each of us talents, gifts, abilities that we are to discover, invest in and put to work. God has gifted each of us in different ways, choosing to equip us for the assignments that he has chosen for us. And knowing who we are, and what we are gifted to do is so key to our flourishing and finding our purpose.
But this is only part of the story. God also asks us to step up to the plate when we don’t feel we can; when we are under-qualified and ill-equipped. It’s a feeling I have been increasingly experiencing since the Covid19 outbreak because I have had to adapt and do things in new and sometimes uncomfortable ways. I think the reason God asks us to do it even when we feel we can’t, we lean into him in a more significant way. We ask for his presence, we know we really need him. The problem with leaning hard into our strengths is that it is easy to go off without him, confident in our own abilities (forgetting that they come from him anyway). I love the verse in 2 Corinthians 12 reminding me that his power is perfected in my weakness. This is hugely uncomfortable at times and not my preferred mode of operation. But it’s exactly where we need to be.
So, whether we feel we can or we can’t, let’s learn to lean into Jesus, ask for his presence and use this as the foundation of our confidence – both in strength and in weakness.
Prayer — Lord, I need you. I need you when I feel strong, I need you when I feel weak. Whatever this day holds, please send your Spirit and give me the strength I need to represent you and fulfil my purpose.
Hannah Miller
@hannahloumiller
Hellosidekick.co