7 Encouraging Scriptures For When You Feel Inadequate

by | Nov 26, 2022 | Christian Living

Do you sometimes feel inadequate?

Like no matter how hard you try, how much effort you put in, you’re still not good enough.

Maybe you’ve recently stepped into a new position and you feel out of your depth. The all too well-known “imposter syndrome” is lurking, threatening to find its way into your mind.

Or maybe you’ve been doing your thing for a long time now and you still feel like you don’t have what it takes – even though you’ve been pulling it off for all this time!

You’re not the only one.

As I struggle against imposter syndrome in my current creative career, I also recall a time when I felt drowned by inadequacy. It was a season when I found myself in a place I had never expected to be. The people around me saw more in me than what I saw in myself. God saw more in me than I could see in me.

And He still does.

I remember this season now after unearthing an old journal from that time in my life. I was flicking through the pages the other day, admiring my penmanship whilst also searching for themes. What was I dealing with? What was God doing in my heart and in my life?

I wanted to revisit the journey He had taken me on and see how far He had brought me.

As I read through the journal entries, word by word, page by page, it became clear to me that I had been processing a real sense of inadequacy. I then stumbled on a particular entry that caught my attention. I had written down the steps needed to change a person’s mindset. Underneath these steps, I wrote:

“Thought pattern: fear of inadequacy”

I then followed this statement with God’s thoughts (from Scripture) to counter my thought patterns and renew my mind.

I had chosen to come out of agreement with the lie that I was inadequate and come into agreement with God’s truth and what He says about me.

Finding this journal entry was a timely reminder to be intentional about uprooting the lies planted by the enemy in my mind and instead sowing the Word of God into my thinking.

So, I want to share with you the same truths and supporting scriptures I wrote in my journal that day…

 

#1 You are chosen

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9

 

#2 You are pleasing to God

“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.” Genesis 1:31

 

#3 You are God’s masterpiece

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

 

#4 God’s grace is enough

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

 

#5 God is perfecting you

“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

 

#6 You are called

“He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time” 2 Timothy 1:9

 

#7 God enables you

“Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.” 2 Corinthians 3:5


The next time you begin to feel inadequate, draw upon these scriptures. Meditate on each one and allow them to encourage your spirit.

And remember – no matter what you or anybody else thinks – to God, you are enough.

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Written by Oyelola

Oyelola is a freelance writer based in Sydney, Australia. When not writing for clients, she shares her musings from life with Jesus through He Speaks, I Write. Beyond writing, she enjoys throwing back a frothy matcha latte, bushwalks with friends and curling up with a good book.

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