“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.” – 2 Corinthians 3:5, NKJV

Like many other people, I do experience a debilitating sense of insecurity in feelings of being inadequate or not being good enough, which makes it extremely hard for me to deal with certain situations or to pursue my goals. Of course I am not alone; according to the UNDP, six in seven people worldwide are plagued by feelings of insecurity at some point in their life.

In our meditation today, the Greek word translated ‘sufficient’ is the same word used for ‘secure.’ It denotes the state of being without anxiety in regard to possessions, ability, potential or appearance.    

In his second epistle to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul was hard-pressed to defend his ministry and his credentials. However, Paul also knew that the Lord hates it when His people exhibit self-sufficiency. So he ‘balanced the boat’ as it were, by stating that his sufficiency – his security – was the work of God. To “make sufficient” means to make one have enough and to spare or to make worthy.  

In other words, Paul was absolutely secure because God had made him enough and worthy.

That gives us the secrets to minimizing personal insecurities: establish your identity in Christ and let Him be your sufficiency.  

In a vain effort to prove that we are secure, we sometimes go on self-promotion sprees and putting others down in an effort to veil our own infirmities and weaknesses. However, when our sufficiency is in the Father, it would give us the courage and security to be ourselves and to carry out unpopular assignments.

In 1 Cor. 12: 9, Paul, weakened by a gruesome infirmity, quotes God telling him; “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

God’s grace comprises all the sufficiency that we need. Paul knew that true strength can only be found in understanding the futility of our own self-sufficiency and relying on the Father’s. He wrote that it is God who has “made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant” (2 Cor. 3:6).

I like what Philip told Jesus in John 14:8: “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”

God’s sufficiency is manifested in His Providence. The Bible says; “God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work” (2 Cor. 9:8). Mark the key words in this verse: ‘always,’ ‘all sufficiency,’ ‘in all things’ and ‘abundance.’

When we know and have Christ as our sufficiency, we have no reason to feel insecure in regard to what we own, our ability, potential or appearance.

Prayer:

Almighty God, Your sufficiency is what gives me the courage to be myself. I will not be insecure because having You in my life is what gives me the confidence to face every situation. I’m enough and sufficient in the Name of Jesus, Amen!