Have you ever had the feeling that you’re not good enough? Not good enough as a parent? Not good enough at your job? Not good enough for the University you’re attending? Not good enough for your spouse? Not good enough for your calling?
Recently I had that thought come into my mind. I’m still a fairly newly called bishop. I was sustained and set apart back in January.
I was kind of going over all the things that I needed to do and things that I should be doing and I had this thought, “you’re not good enough to be bishop”
I was kind of surprised, and then started thinking of why that was right, and then I had the thought, “Where did that thought just come from?”
I remember as I was released from being a counselor in the bishopric in my ward in Highland, Utah, that the new bishop said that the first week or so it felt like Satan was going all out after him. I don’t know if he was talking about thoughts like these or what, but I can only say that this thought must have come from Satan to discourage me.
I tried to find some things on the Church’s website which might help.
There is an article from October 2018 Liahona called “What every bishop wants his ward members to Know.”
I have known very few bishops who felt they were truly “prepared” for the calling. I do know, however, that “whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies.”1 While a bishop knows he is becoming qualified, he also struggles with feeling like he is never going to do the calling well. He will do his best to give wise counsel when needed, to not offend people, and to be in tune with the Spirit, but he will still wonder at times if he is fulfilling his calling acceptably.
Tune in for the rest of the story!
