Elder Rasband shared a story and scripture in a LDS Face to Face. He shared with us of when he was called to be an apostle. He went to tell his wife. They cried, and then they prayed. A scripture came to his mind and it was John 15:16.
“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”
Why do we feel so inadequate?
Even an apostle felt inadequate. So why do we feel this way? Well, Satan. He implants in us those feelIngs to turn away from the fruit of the tree of life, even after we have tasted it and felt its joy. (1 Ne. 8:25)
So how do we escape the feelings of being inadequate?
I don’t know exactly how to stop this feeling. I am stilling having issues with it. However, I do know some ways how to get out of that slump.
- Read. Obvious answer number 1. I love the scriptures! I love how they teach us that even people who felt more inadequate then me, were able to walk and talk with God. This is what we call Assurance. It proves to us that we are not alone in these feelings, but through Him we can escape this feeling.
- Pray. I know it is the most obvious answer number 2, but it is the best answer. Our Father does hear our prayers. He may not answer them at that moment but he does answer. Here is an example.
I was a fat kid with self-esteem issues just because I thought being popular was the only way to go. I lacked confidence, I felt like no one cared. I even thought, “would people really miss me if I disappeared?” I hated that thought, but it would not go away. I actually hated that question so much that it compelled me to get on my knees. I prayed, and pleaded, and cried. Afterwards, I sat on my bed with tears in my eyes. I felt an arm placed on my shoulder, and a voice that said,”I love you.” At that moment, I knew someone cared. I felt inadequate, imperfect, and ugly but…my Father cared. He cared so much that He sent our Brother, our Savior, to feel what we felt. He had the exact same feelings as us in the Garden. “Father, let this cup pass from me,”(Matt. 26:39) are feelings we have even felt,”Father, take away this pain.” Even while feeling inadequate, He gave us a chance, a glimmer of hope to be able to return to our Father, even with our imperfections. This is what we call Evidence. Our Father has given us hope and faith that we will make it even if times are rough. - Action. Get off your butt and go to work! Push those feelings of inadequacy out the door, and accomplish what the Lord has set for you.
“[The] teachings of Paul and of Alma and from the Lectures on Faith highlight three basic elements of faith: (1) faith as the assurance of things hoped for which are true, (2) faith as the evidence of things not seen, and (3) faith as the principle of action in all intelligent beings. I describe these three components of faith in the Savior as simultaneously facing the future, looking to the past, and initiating action in the present.”
– Elder David A. Bednar
So let us act as we face the future while looking at the past.
Your Brother in the Gospel,
Tyler Smith