Our Sufficient God
“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.” (2 Corinthians 3:5)
Today, I will preach a little sermon to myself to quell the rising anxiety that has gripped my soul and stolen my sleep. For the past month or so, I have been working on all the behind-the-scenes preparation for Open Enrollment of my group coaching membership program, the Resilient Career Academy™. As the date draws closer and closer, the pressure to complete all the tasks has skyrocketed.
I’m sure I am not alone when it comes to feeling increased anxiety and pressure related to impending deadlines. It is a relatively common experience. Stress is “pressure or tension exerted on a material object.” In this case, the material object is me.
Stress, pressure, and tension are not the same as anxiety or worry, though we often use them interchangeably. Believe it or not, there is an optimal amount of stress that helps us and drives us to complete tasks to meet deadlines. Stress, pressure, and tension are NOT our enemies.
The enemy is anxiety and worry. Anxiety and worry are the output of our assessment of our current resources to accomplish the task. We look at the tasks before us and assess whether we have adequate time, energy, or other resources to finish the work by the deadline.
Dr. Jim Berg uses the analogy of getting a big bill in the mail. If we look in our bank account and see that we have the money to cover it, all is well. But if we look in our account and find that we have NSF, or Not Sufficient Funds, we immediately feel worried and anxious.
Anxiety and worry come because we don’t think we have what we need to get the job done…in the strength of our flesh — which is most likely true. Even though being self-sufficient is a highly sought-after quality, it is not one that God subscribes to.
God is a loving Father who enjoys providing and caring for His children. He knows exactly what we need, AND He has the resources at His disposal to meet that need. He takes pleasure in providing for our needs. It gives Him such joy to see His children taken care of.
I have repeatedly discovered that God’s sufficient resources are more than enough to cover my inadequate resources. He will always be able to cover for what I lack.
So, that begs the question: If I have the resources of the God of the universe at my disposal, why am I anxious and worried about not having enough…time, energy, or resources?
I am anxious and worried because I am still trying to be self-sufficient instead of trusting Him to provide what I need. This is why I have 2 Corinthians 3:5 on a sticky note hanging from my monitor…to remind myself that I am NOT enough, but God is.
“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.” (2 Corinthians 3:5)
The Bible has so many promises for us to use to battle anxiety and worry, but we need to THINK Bible. We need to meditate on these verses and let them sink into our souls and become our reality. I need to do that…hence, the sermon I’ve been preaching to myself.
- Philippians 4:6–7 — “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
- Philippians 4:19 — “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
- 2 Peter 1:2–4 — “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that [pertain] to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption [that is] in the world through lust.
- Jeremiah 32:27 — “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me?”
So now, as I reset my mindset to trust in God’s provision for me, I can feel the tension, worry, and anxious thoughts leaving my body. I can see beyond my limited resources and embrace the sufficient provisions of my loving Heavenly Father.
How about you? Do you struggle with relentless worry and anxiety? Do you believe you don’t have what you need? Does the worry and anxiety bog you down and steal your energy? I invite you to join me in a mindset reset to trust in God’s provision for you.
I welcome your comments below.
