Previously, we learned how devastating events negatively shaped Moses’ perception of himself. He went from being a confident and secure individual to someone who doubted himself and his purpose in life. When God challenged him to step out of his comfort zone, Moses came up with 5 excuses for why he couldn’t do what God was asking of him. His excuses revealed not only the depth of his pain, but the lies he believed about himself. So how did God respond to Moses’ excuses and what can we learn from his life?
First of all, God didn’t yell at Moses for being so timid and afraid. God understood Moses’ pain and the depth of his trauma. God understood his excuses, but he wasn’t going to let Moses stay stuck in his pain. God loved Moses too much to allow him to continue to defeat himself.
So what can we learn from the story of Moses?
God Will Help You
God listened to Moses’ point of view. But then He spoke. For each excuse Moses gave, God responded with His perspective. He told Moses, “I will be with you.” (Exodus 3:12) He wanted to come alongside and partner with Moses. He wanted to help him. God wanted to calm his fears and build his confidence. God wanted Moses to dream again.
God was aware of Moses’ insecurities. He told him, “I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” (Exodus 4:12) He knew that Moses felt inadequate for the job. He knew Moses felt insecure about his speaking disability. (Exodus 4:10) God wanted Moses to know that He would equip and empower him to do what needed to be done. He was not alone.
Just Be Yourself!
Just like Moses, God is not asking us to be someone else. He knows our strengths and our weaknesses. He is not surprised when we fail. He knows everything about us. Contrary to what we may think, He knew what He was getting into when He picked us. He chose us on purpose. He had a purpose and a plan in mind. He wants to partner with us and walk alongside us. We can get in the way by trying to be someone we are not. He wants us to be ourselves, just the way we are. All He asks of us is to be open and willing to give Him a chance. He wants us to stop resisting and start trusting Him. He promises never to give us more than what we can handle.
Do It Afraid!
Moses had to face his fears. He couldn’t get around it or wiggle his way out of it. Everything God asked him to do challenged him to step out and face his fears. I’m sure he second guessed what he was doing and whether or not he heard from God. I’m sure at times he questioned his purpose and his direction. At some point, Moses had to make a decision to follow God no matter what. He had to make a commitment from within. He had to obey God despite how he felt inside. He had to keep pushing forward until his fears subsided and no longer controlled him.
Expect Resistance
Sometimes things get worse before they get better. Some of Moses’ fears came true. What he thought would happen, did in fact happen. He didn’t think Pharaoh would listen to him and he was right. But that didn’t stop him. He kept going and kept trying until he got a breakthrough. Moses had to confront Pharaoh ten times with each of the ten plagues. In the process Moses learned to overcome obstacles and stay focused on his goal. He didn’t let his fears or insecurities keep him from moving forward.
Try, Try Again
Each time Moses went to Pharaoh and was rejected, he came back stronger and more resolved. Failure builds persistence. Moses had to make a decision to keep doing what he knew he needed to do. After each failure, Moses came back a little stronger, a little more confident. God used the conflict and rejection to build Moses’ character. Before this Moses was confident in his position and his affluence. Now Moses knew that his confidence was rooted and established in God. With God’s help, Moses could do things he never dreamed possible. He also realized that without God, he was nothing. His perspective had shifted.
Conflict Builds Character
Throughout the process of failing and getting back up again, Moses learned several things.
- Moses learned to obey despite how he felt.
- Moses learned that God was 100% faithful and he could trust Him with his life.
- Moses learned how to hear from God and not second guess himself.
- Moses learned how to handle conflict and confront people when they were wrong.
- Moses learned that God’s plan and purpose for his life was better than what he could have planned himself.
- Moses learned persistence and to never give up.
- Moses learned to stay focused on his goal and not give in to distraction.
- Moses learned how to embrace mistakes and failure to propel him forward.
- Moses learned to base his identity on God and find his security in Him.
- Moses learned not to give in to fear, but to do it afraid.
- Moses learned that God loved and accepted him just the way he was, insecurities and all.
- Moses learned how to be a leader by serving others and listening to their needs.
F.E.A.R is really False Evidence Appearing Real. Don’t shut God out because you are convinced He can’t use you. Make a decision today to surrender your fears to God and let Him challenge you to new heights.
