Embracing Inadequacy postures us to receive more grace (Part 3)
Before we can learn the sufficiency of God’s grace, we must learn the insufficiency of ourselves…the more we see our frailty, weakness, and dependence, the more we appreciate God’s grace in its dimension of His divine assistance. Just as grace shines more brilliantly against the dark background of our sin, so it also shines more brilliantly against the background of our human weakness — Jerry Bridges
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. — James 4:6
Being honest with ourselves about our inadequacies reveals both an awareness of grace already received, and deeper hunger for grace needed for today. When the Apostle Paul desperately wanted to see his pervasive weakness removed, he told the Corinthian church Jesus’s response, “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 weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Cor. 12:9). The providential result of Paul’s weakness was that it postured his heart in a way to stay hungry for grace. And this was cause for Paul to boast and embrace a weakness that directed his gaze to the God of all grace. John Piper says, “the word grace…not only refers to God’s character trait or disposition or inclination to treat people better than we deserve, but the word grace also refers to the action or the power or the influence or the force of this disposition, which produces real, practical outcomes in people’s lives, like being sufficient for good deeds or enduring the thorn in the flesh”. But he gives more grace.
No one would question little girls possess a special favor in their father’s eyes. But when one of those little girls finds herself in pain and shouts through tears, “daddy, I need your help!”. Will not the father rush to her side and shower her with comfort, help and sympathy? So, it is with God. Blessed are those who mourn their inadequacy, for they shall be comforted (Matt.5:4). Therefore, the heart committed to denying inadequacy, is also the heart declaring to Jesus, “I don’t need you nor do I think you can help me”. But the heart that boasts in its weakness says like the tax collector, “God have mercy on me a sinner!...I desperately need you” (Luke 18:13b). Thus, if denying our inadequacy is in fact denying Christ’s adequacy, what we end up with is a restriction to grace and more satisfying intimacy with Him. Those painful moments where a little girl begs for help are also the foundational memories reminding her that daddy loves me and I am safe with him. Thus, the road to intimate relationship with Jesus cannot be found apart from an embrace of what’s insufficient inside us. There we will find an even deeper thirst…
