When God gives us a calling but we don’t feel like he made the right choice.
We are all blessed with gifts and talents, but sometimes God leads us into things that we just do not feel capable of doing. Maybe it’s a situation or ministry that seeks to involve none of your strong points – and you’re left questioning, “Has God got this right?”
Moses was the child of a slave, a stepson to a ruler whose kingdom he would never inherit and a murderer who was on the run. Yet, God chose him; an outcast, to stand up against Pharaoh to save the Israelites from Eygpt. In Exodus 3, we see Moses’s reaction to God’s instructions, and His plan of freeing the Israelites. To be honest, I think I would have made more of a fuss that Moses did.
“But Moses protested to God,” Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”
Exodus 3:11
Moses did not think he was good enough for the job. He did not ever picture himself in the role of a leader. He protests against God – an example of Moses’s anxiety and his low self-esteem. When we are asked by God to do things which are completely unexpected or not in line with our perceived strengths or gifts, it’s only natural to be afraid and think, “There is no way I can do this!”
“God answered,” I will be with you. And this is a sign that I am the one who sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain”. But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name? Then what should I tell them?”
Exodus 3: 12-13
God reassures Moses that He will be with him, as He will be with us. However, Moses is still unsure and again questions God. It’s also as if he is trying to find a way to get out of it. Moses just can not see how he is going to pull off this ‘Great Escape’. Even though God tells Moses He will be with him, from verse 14 onwards, God gives Moses a step-by-step account of exactly what to expect, every little detail of the plan. But what does Moses do? You guessed it – For the third time he protests:
“But Moses protested again,” What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’? “
Exodus 4:1
Moses REALLY does not want this job. But God is not giving up that easily. If Moses wasn’t really listening to what God was saying, God tries a more practical approach.
“Then the Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied. “Throw it down on the ground,” the Lord told him. So Moses threw down the staff, and it turned into a snake! Moses jumped back. Then the Lord told him, “Reach out and grab its tail.” So Moses reached out and grabbed it, and it turned back into a shepherd’s staff in his hand. “Perform this sign,” the Lord told him. “Then they will believe that the Lord, the God of their ancestors-the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob-really has appeared to you.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now put your hand inside your cloak.” So Moses put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out again, his hand was white as snow with a severe skin disease. “Now put your hand back into your cloak,” the Lord said. So Moses put his hand back in, and when he took it out again, it was as healthy as the rest of his body. The Lord said to Moses, “If they do not believe you and are not convinced by the first miraculous sign, they will be convinced by the second sign. And if they don’t believe you or listen to you even after these two signs, then take some water from the Nile River and pour it out on the dry ground. When you do, the water from the Nile will turn to blood on the ground.”
Exodus 4:2-9
Moses continues coming up with excuse after excuse, but each time God is ready with the perfect response. We often come up with excuses too, to avoid following God’s calling. Moses becomes desperate and begins to plead with God.
“But Moses pleaded with the Lord,”O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.”
Exodus 4:10
Here we see the root fear of why Moses is being so stubborn. Moses does not want to take up the role of leader because he is not a confident speaker, he stutters and stumbles over his words. Never had he considered this to be his calling because he was not gifted in it. God can surprise us by pulling us into ministries that we never dreamt of being a part of, due to our weaknesses and insecurities. And like Moses, we can protest against God’s will and come up with many excuses and reasons as to why someone else would be better suited.
Now in Moses’s case, God was getting to the end of His tether and allowed Aaron, Moses’s brother, to come on board and act as spokesman.
“Then the Lord became angry with Moses.” All right,” he said.” What about you brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he speaks well. And look! He is in his way to meet you now. He will be delighted to see you. Talk to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with you both as you speak, and I will instruct you both in what to do. Aaron will be your spokesman to the people. He will be your mouthpiece, and you will stand in the place of God for him, telling him what to say. And take your shepherd’s staff with you, and use it to perform the miraculous signs I have shown you.”
Exodus 4:14-17
Sometimes, God may call you towards a new role, mission or outreach but will bring others into the venture too, so you’ve got that moral support, like Moses had with Aaron.
Ultimately, God knows exactly how everything will pan out and the precise roles we have in orchestrating His plans. We may be a Moses, and dig in our heels, but God knows we are just the right person for the job – he chose you for a reason. He never makes mistakes. At the time we can not see how we will be able to do it. Fast forward so many years, and we can see how Moses grew into a strong leader of the Israelites.
God could have used the confident young Moses, when he had a position of power and influence, was bold and self-assured – Exodus 2:11-25. Instead, God used the elderly, fearful Shepherd Moses who lacked self-confidence – Exodus 4:1-17. See, God uses us most when we are emptied of ourselves and ready to be filled with Him. Moses felt inadequate, but rather than boost his ego, God built up his God-esteem in place of his self-esteem. God enabled Moses to strengthen his faith and trust in Him, than in his own abilities.
Has God been speaking to you lately about a new calling? Perhaps you are feeling like Moses and are unsure about taking that first step. God has good plans for each of us. He has chosen you to carry out His great works. God does not make mistakes. Rather than be stubborn like Moses was, embrace this new adventure. Trust God knows what He is doing. Although it’s scary taking a big step, especially into something you don’t feel equipped to do, pray and ask God to help you with that!
God Bless! 🙂
STEADFAST 