Have you ever received a calling where you felt completely inadequate? Have you ever wondered how soon other people will discover that their opinion of you is a lot higher than your own opinion about your abilities? How soon will they find out that you are an imposter, acting beyond your experience and abilities?
My wife and I just received a new calling. We wondered together about all of those things. Then we realized that Nephi did not know how to build a ship.
Nephi already knew how to build tools. The Lord helped him find ore to make the tools. Nephi said “I did go into the mount oft, and I did pray oft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord showed unto me great things.” Nephi trusted in the Lord. With the Lord’s help, he did it!
How often have others felt inadequate?
How about Moses?
The Lord called him to ask Pharaoh to let the children of Israel out of Egypt. In Exodus 3:11 “And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?” With the Lord’s help, he did it!
How about Enoch?
Enoch “… heard a voice from heaven, saying: Enoch, my son, prophesy unto this people, and say unto them—Repent …” (Moses 6:27). “And when Enoch had heard these words, he bowed himself to the earth, before the Lord, and spake before the Lord, saying: Why is it that I have found favor in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people hate me; for I am slow of speech; wherefore am I thy servant?” (vs. 31) After that, Enoch responded faithfully: “And it came to pass that Enoch went forth in the land, among the people, standing upon the hills and the high places, and cried with a loud voice, testifying against their works … “ (vs. 37) His city became so righteous that they were taken up unto the Lord. With the Lord’s help, he did it!
For those of us who feel inadequate, Adjusting to Missionary Life counsels:
◼ Serve from your strengths. Make a list of your strengths, talents, and spiritual gifts. Your strengths are part of the Lord’s storehouse, from which He draws to bless His children and build His kingdom. Cultivate your gifts and consecrate your strengths. Focus more on what you do well than on what you do wrong. Plan ways each week to develop and use your gifts to serve and
bless others. (See D&C 82:18–19.)
◼ Examine your expectations. Don’t expect everything to turn out the way you hoped. You will not do everything perfectly. Remember the Lord’s counsel to Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail: “All these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. . . . Therefore, hold on” (D&C 122:7, 9).
◼ Talk back to negative thinking. Right now, or before bed tonight, list your negative thoughts from today on paper; then rewrite them to be more hopeful, truthful, and encouraging.
◼ Break down big or difficult tasks into smaller pieces. If they still feel too hard, break them down more. Then act. If you wait to “feel like” working before starting, you may wait a long time. Get started, and motivation will follow.
◼ Express gratitude. Be grateful not only for your blessings but for your challenges and adversities and what you can learn from them. This will open the door for the Lord to bless and help you.
◼ Set realistic goals and make specific plans for how you will accomplish them. Tackle things that distress you one at a time. Depression responds well to goals and plans.
◼ Let go of what you cannot control. The past, the agency of others, the rules, the weather, government bureaucracies, the culture, your limitations, or the personality of others are outside of your control. Focus on things you can do something about, such as your behavior, your part in a relationship, your current choices, and your attitude.
◼ Focus on what you do right and avoid comparing yourself to others. People with excessively high expectations tend to overfocus on their weaknesses and failures. Then, instead of improving, they may feel hopeless. When reading scriptures, focus on the parts that most apply to you as a beloved servant of God. Look for evidences of God’s patience, grace, hope, and mercy with those who love and desire to serve Him.
◼ Enjoy being a beginner when you are new at something. You aren’t expected to be an expert. It is enough to be curious, interested, humble, and willing to try. Enjoy it!
◼ Cheerfully do what you can, and let God make up the difference. Sometimes missionaries feel useless or ashamed when others look more successful. If Satan tempts you to doubt yourself or compare yourself to others, remember that this is God’s work, and He chooses the weak and simple to do it. He has chosen you! Trust Him. He trusts you!
◼ Envision success. Worrying can be a way of mentally practicing failure. Instead of rehearsing what can go wrong or constantly worrying about “what if,” mentally practice positive outcomes and make plans to achieve them. Then if things don’t work out as you hope, imagine yourself learning from the setback and going forward.
Finally, we can gain confidence from the example of the apostle Paul who said “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13)
May the Lord bless us to build any ship He commands, especially as we build our discipleship.
