Adequacy For Today

I WOKE UP MUCH TOO EARLY THAT MORNING, so perhaps my foggy brain is to blame for my sitting in the wrong seat on the plane. The rightful ticket holder looked at me as if I couldn’t count, shrugged his shoulders, and sat in my assigned seat. I offered to switch, but his new seat was actually closer to the front of the plane, so he chose martyrdom.

My seatmate—the one who wasn’t supposed to be my seatmate—was pleasant. I don’t remember how our conversation started, but I remember we didn’t want it to end. It evolved from trivial topics to critical ones, from the product responsible for her long eyelashes to the challenges of her blended family.

Is it possible that the Lord woke me up very early that day because I needed more time with Him—not just because I was desperate for adequacy for my speaking event later that evening, but also because I needed His adequacy to minister to the woman sitting beside me on the plane?

Early that morning, I had cried out to the Lord for help to deal with the difficult event coordinator for my challenging event that night and the following day. I’d read some passages in the Bible, and they pointed me to the answer—love. I needed to love others just as God loves me. Of course, I needed the Spirit of God to enable me to love like that.

I shouldn’t have been surprised when my seatmate asked for advice in dealing with her blended family. I knew just what to say. “The key is love, unconditional love,” I replied. I then shared that the Lord had shown me the answer to her question earlier that day when He had answered mine. I needed her to know that I was just as desperate for God’s adequacy as she was.

Both of us had to drop the conditions we’d put on our love. In other words, we needed to love hard-to-love people the way God loves us. We’re called to love others unconditionally, with no strings attached. My new friend got it! We talked for the rest of the flight about what that would look like and how impossible it would be to love like this in our own strength. We hugged as we parted, knowing we might not see each other again before heaven. Neither of us had any doubt that our seating mix-up was a setup from the Lord.

Do you ever feel inadequate for the challenges you face daily? I sure do. Put simply, I’m inadequate to deal with the people and responsibilities God has put in my life. I know the Source for all that I need, yet sometimes I choose my own version of adequacy; my limited wisdom instead of the all-wise God’s; my good plan instead of God’s best plan; my imperfect words instead of the Holy Spirit’s grace-filled speech. What am I thinking? On my own, it’s impossible for me to be an adequate wife, mom, or friend to the woman sitting next to me on the plane. My adequacy and yours comes from the Lord, and He alone will make us sufficient for everything we encounter in life.

Second Corinthians 3:4-5 tells us, “Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God.” I’m glad I chose God’s adequacy that day on the plane.

My dear friend Brenda also needs His adequacy to live without Joe, who went to heaven ahead of her. Jan depends on Him for her new role as a single mom. Christine needs His grace as she juggles multiple jobs and ministry. Both Kelly and Karen count on His adequate wisdom each week as they teach multiple Bible studies. My sweet daughter-in-law Casey starts her day before the sun is up to have much-needed time with her Savior, who makes her adequate as a wife and a mom to three kids under five. What do you need adequacy for today?

REFLECTION

Do you feel inadequate to deal with the people and responsibilities in your life? Meditate on 2 Corinthians 3:4-5 this week, and work to memorize this short passage as a reminder that the Lord can make you adequate for everything you face.