THE DOUBTS OF A LEADER

Many of us assume that we would have stronger faith and be able to live well and lead with greater purpose if only God would appear to us, talk to us more directly, and make our task plain. After a false start or two, this was the experience of Moses.

God found him in the desert, appearing in an attention-grabbing burning bush and speaking directly to him, giving Moses the task of returning to the land of his birth to lead his people out of slavery. It was a daunting task to confront the most powerful ruler of the most powerful nation in the world at that time, but God could not have made it more plain. So what was the problem? Perhaps Moses was afraid of the wrong things.

Note his objection: “What if they do not believe me or listen to me?” Moses should have known better. His previous attempt to rescue his people had not gone well (see Exodus 2:11–15), but it seems his main concern was still focused on himself.

And so his argument continues through most of this chapter.

Despite God’s appearance to him, despite the voice of God speaking directly to him, despite the miracles God gave Moses to convince the people, and despite God’s assurance that He would be with him, Moses continued to protest. Finally, he said it bluntly: “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else” (Exodus 4:13). Yes, it feels like it would be helpful at times to have a clear voice guiding our lives, our work, and our service to God and others. But what is often lacking is a focus on what is most important—our decision to trust God in doing it, even when it feels daunting and perhaps impossible. It is not about me.