When we feel inadequate.

The April liahona had an article in there called "weakness is not a sin" and since reading it I have come to ponder a lot on what that means. 

I feel like one of the most commonly felt feelings as a missionary is inadequacy, this feeling that we don't measure up. I think that is a feeling that we have all often felt in life. 

Sometimes when I feel that way I think that the solution is simply that because I'm not good enough I need to try harder and harder till I become good enough. Yet strangely, usually that simply leads to me feeling worse. As I pondered this principle and Moroni 10:32 I felt prompted to read the story of the pharisee and the sinner who go to the temple to pray. 

The phrarisee is doing the right things and thanks himself the Lord that he is better than the sinner. But the sinner realizes his weakness and relies on the Lord. I felt the spirit speak to me as I read it saying to effect, "The reason God was dissappointed with the Phrarisee wasn't in his righteous acts, but in his trusting of himself" 

And I realized that when I feel inadequate, and simply try to try harder and harder, I'm really trusting in my own arm just like the pharisee. But as President Utchdorf taught in conference and the Liahona taught too, the real key is simply to humble ourselves and rely on Him and realize that without Him we will never measure up. 

I now that without Christ, we can never make it, but if in our times of feeling weak and inadequate, we will simply humble ourselves and turn to and rely on Him, He will truly make weak things strong and give us grace to be more than we could ever be alone. 

Love

Elder Walton