Not Good Enough

Not Good Enough

Years ago a young preacher came to me and asked if I could spend some time talking with him. We agreed on a time and met. He informed me that he was thinking about getting out of preaching because he struggled with anxiety and a feeling of not being good enough. At the time he came to me, I wasn’t the seasoned veteran (translation, “really old codger”), that I am now!

My response to him was that if we are honest all of us who try to preach have wondered in our weaker moments if we are good enough to do what we do. In fact, we are not the first ones to question our own abilities. Some of God’s greatest preachers wondered if they were good enough. Moses had questions about his speaking ability, about his knowledge of his mission, and about his usefulness. Elijah wondered out loud if he was the only one left serving God. Jeremiah pondered in his heart if he could keep going.

So, if you are questioning your abilities, know that you are not the first of God’s men to wonder if you are good enough. Secondly, allow me to set your mind at ease. You are not good enough, neither am I, nor is any other man who has taken up the baton of heralding the Good News.

Oh, and by the way, Moses wasn’t good enough, Elijah wasn’t good enough, Jeremiah wasn’t good enough, Daniel wasn’t good enough, Peter wasn’t good enough, John wasn’t good enough, and Paul wasn’t good enough. Left to do this work alone, no man is good enough. However, understanding that God is with us every step of the way, knowing that our Advocate is interceding on our behalf, and knowing that the Word of the Holy Spirit cannot fail, should give us hope. It should drive us to keep going, even we wonder if we are good enough!