While no man has what it takes to accomplish his job as father successfully in every respect, he can be made adequate by the work of God through him. As a matter of fact, the only way a man can ever become truly adequate as a father is by realizing his own utter inadequacy for the task. The man who thinks himself sufficient has a date with disaster. Time will prove his self-confidence unfounded. But the man who knows he cannot do the job and depends upon the grace of God to work despite his failings is the man who just may qualify for the fatherhood hall of fame.
Christians walk a thin line all the time between self-confidence and despair.
To walk the narrow way is to realize, moment by moment, that we are totally unable to obey God and do our duty and yet His grace at work in us makes us able. A sense of inadequacy is a gift. It is the starting point for the working of the grace of God in our lives. We are encouraged to work hard at fulfilling the calling we have from God, even as we do so with a fear and trembling that results from an awareness of our inability and our of accountability to God. We can do this because we know that our adequacy is from God.