“Such is the confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians 3:4-6 CSB)
Whenever you start a new job or initiative, it’s common to feel a certain level of inadequacy and doubt. Can I really do this? Am I even qualified? Do I actually have what it takes to be successful? On what basis can I be confident?
Moses, for example, when he was called by God to be the one to go to Pharaoh and demand the freedom of the Israelites from Egypt, responded to God by saying: Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt? (Exodus 3:11). He didn’t feel adequate. He wasn’t convinced that he was up for the job.
The Apostle Paul, arguably the greatest missionary of all time, is another interesting example. On the one hand, he knew that there were many reasons why he could have been confident in himself:
5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. (Philippians 3:5-6)
Paul’s resume included all the right education and experience. His heritage, his zeal, and his faithfulness set him apart from everyone else.
Yet, on the other hand, Paul was aware of his own gaps and deficiencies. Elsewhere he wrote:
When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. […] 3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words.
A lack of eloquence and wisdom. Weakness. Great fear and trembling. Unpersuasive words. He didn’t sound like he had what it took to do the job. Doesn’t sound like he would do very well in a job interview.
In his letter to the church in Corinth, the Apostle Paul shares some important truths about the basis for our confidence as we seek to minister to others and fulfill the mission to which God has called us.
He starts by reminding us that we are not competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves.
Think about it. We don’t have what it takes to be effective. On our own, we can’t transform lives. On our own, we can’t deal with the brokenness that surrounds us and is within us. On our own, we don’t have what it takes to deal with the problems that are before us. On our own, we are not adequate or competent.
But here’s the good news: We aren’t on our own!
Paul writes: Our competence comes from God. 6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit;
The basis for our confidence in life and in ministry is found not in ourselves. It isn’t about whether we have the right background, education, expertise or experience – as important and helpful as those things can be.
The reason we can be confident is because God has made us competent, by giving us the Holy Spirit.
It is through the Holy Spirit that we receive the gifts or divine enablement we need to do what God has called us to do. It is through the Spirit that receive wisdom and guidance. It is through the Spirit that we overcome our fear and trembling with boldness and courage. It is through the Spirit that God transforms people, taking what is broken and bringing restoration, renewal, and reconciliation.
So, as you serve God today, do so with confidence. Not in yourself, but in Him. God has made you competent by giving you the Holy Spirit. In Him, we have all that we need to do what He has called us to do.
