2 Corinthians 3:1-6: a reflection

1Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you? 2You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men, 3being revealed that you are a letter of Christ, served by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh. 4Such confidence we have through Christ toward God, 5not that we are sufficient of ourselves to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God, 6who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Paul makes clear that whatever ability he and his fellow workers have for God's service does not come from themselves, but from God: our sufficiency is from God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to account anything as coming from ourselves, Paul says, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant. Paul does not claim to be adequate in himself for the work God has given; he confesses plainly that he is not sufficient of himself, and that whatever sufficiency he has comes from God, who makes him able. Our adequacy for God's service is not something we produce, but something God gives. This shows that our sufficiency for God's service comes from God, not ourselves. Our sufficiency is from God, not from ourselves. We are not adequate in ourselves; God makes us able. Whatever ability we have for God's service is God's gift. God makes us sufficient for what he calls us to.

Notice Paul's honest confession and where he locates his sufficiency. He does not boast of his own adequacy, does not claim to be sufficient in himself for the great work of God's service; he confesses plainly, we are not sufficient of ourselves. But he does not despair either, because he knows where his sufficiency comes from: our sufficiency is from God, who made us sufficient. Whatever ability Paul has for the ministry is not his own achievement but God's gift, God making him able for what he could not do in himself. This is both humbling and freeing. It is humbling, for it means we cannot take credit for whatever we accomplish in God's service; the sufficiency is God's, not ours. And it is freeing, for it means we do not have to be adequate in ourselves. We often feel inadequate for what God calls us to, aware of our own insufficiency; and this is true, we are not sufficient of ourselves. But our sufficiency does not have to come from us; it comes from God, who makes us able. We can serve God not in our own adequacy, which we lack, but in the sufficiency he gives. When we feel inadequate, we can look not to ourselves but to God, whose sufficiency is enough. Our sufficiency is from God; we need not be adequate in ourselves. God makes us able for what we cannot do in ourselves. When you feel inadequate, your sufficiency is in God, not yourself. Serve God in the sufficiency he gives, not your own.

That is worth resting in, for our sufficiency for God's service comes from God, not ourselves, so that when we feel inadequate we can look to him, who makes us able. We can feel inadequate for what God calls us to, aware of our own insufficiency, and either boast falsely of our own adequacy or despair; but Paul confessed he was not sufficient of himself, and located his sufficiency in God, who made him able. Our adequacy is God's gift. When you feel inadequate for God's service, remember that your sufficiency is from God, not yourself. Rest in the truth that our sufficiency for God's service comes from God, not ourselves, so that when we feel inadequate we can look not to ourselves but to him who makes us able, as Paul confessed that he was not sufficient of himself to claim anything as coming from himself, but that his sufficiency was from God, who made him sufficient as a servant of the new covenant; for Paul did not boast of his own adequacy for the great work of God's service, nor despair, but confessed plainly that we are not sufficient of ourselves while knowing that our sufficiency is from God, so that whatever ability we have for God's service is not our own achievement but God's gift, making us able for what we could not do in ourselves, which is both humbling, since we cannot take credit for what we accomplish in God's service, and freeing, since we do not have to be adequate in ourselves but can serve in the sufficiency God gives, and when we feel inadequate we can look not to ourselves but to God, whose sufficiency is enough.

Lord, Paul makes clear that whatever ability he and his fellow workers have for your service does not come from themselves, but from you: our sufficiency is from God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to account anything as coming from ourselves, Paul says, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant. Paul does not claim to be adequate in himself for the work you have given; he confesses plainly that he is not sufficient of himself, and that whatever sufficiency he has comes from you, who make him able. Our adequacy for your service is not something we produce, but something you give. Show me Paul's honest confession and where he locates his sufficiency. He does not boast of his own adequacy; he confesses plainly, we are not sufficient of ourselves. But he does not despair either, because he knows where his sufficiency comes from: our sufficiency is from God. Whatever ability Paul has is not his own achievement but your gift, you making him able for what he could not do in himself. This is both humbling and freeing. It is humbling, for I cannot take credit for whatever I accomplish in your service; the sufficiency is yours, not mine. And it is freeing, for I do not have to be adequate in myself. I often feel inadequate for what you call me to, aware of my own insufficiency; and this is true, I am not sufficient of myself. But my sufficiency does not have to come from me; it comes from you, who make me able. Take that to my heart, for my sufficiency for your service comes from you, not myself. When I feel inadequate for your service, help me look not to myself but to you, Lord, whose sufficiency is enough, and serve you in the sufficiency you give rather than in my own adequacy, which I lack.