While sitting in the lap of luxury in an area Residence Inn meeting room, the sun is shining brightly, and the weather is cooperating with a temperature of 75 degrees, and I am alone. It’s a great day, right? Well, it appears to be a great day, but the reality of it is that we are still under quarantine because of the Corona Virus. I find that I have several options: I could feel sorry for myself and sink into the pit of depression and despair (not going to happen), sleep countless hours while accomplishing nothing (Hmmm…that may happen), or I could occupy myself with writing about my thoughts for today.
While we have been under quarantine, I have spent time listening to music, books, and sermons, and I have spent time in deep, meaningful conversations with friends on a plethora of topics. One of the activities that keep me busy is reading my bible and actually keeping up with the YouVersion Bible reading plan. Well, the most recent reading comes from the book of Exodus where Moses has an encounter with the burning bush. He is the chosen one to lead the people out of captivity in Egypt. We all know the story. Moses leads the people away from Pharoah through the wilderness en route to the Promised Land. Along the way comes the birth of the nation’s constitution in the form of the Ten Commandments. This story is uplifting because it shows God’s love for us, His vision for His nation, His rescue from those who mean us harm, His faithfulness to us (in spite of our doubt), and His presence at all times. Wow! Even knowing how this story goes, I have never closely examined the character of Moses.
Have you ever noticed that every time God told Moses that he was to fulfill a command or wish, Moses always questioned why God was using him instead of someone else? Does this sound familiar? Do we not sometimes question why we have been selected to lead, to teach, to preach, or to counsel? Moses certainly asked enough questions for us all.
At the burning bush, God told him that he was going to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses responded, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11) In chapter 4 Moses said, “What if they won’t believe me and will not obey me but say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?” In both of these situations, the Lord assured Moses that He was certainly with him. The Lord performed miracles to show Moses who He was. Moses replied, “Please, Lord I have never been eloquent–either in the past or recently or since you have been speaking to your servant–because my mouth and my tongue are sluggish.” Again, the Lord tells him that He will help him speak and teach him what to say. Is the response from Moses a lack of faith or did he just not want to be in the forefront leading? Moses says to the Lord, “Please, Lord, send someone else.” Wow! Isn’t it gutsy to ask the Lord to send someone else when He has chosen you?
I am reminded of a situation in my life, my answer, and my revelation. Like most women, I too take pride in my coif (hair) being neat and fashionable. No, it’s not vanity, I just don’t enjoy a bad hair day! I had been asked to lead a ladies small group because the women in the church needed something. I thought about it, and that was all I did about it. I was not going to lead a women’s small group. What did I know about leading? Pssst! Please! A voice from the chair across from me said, “Are you going to lead the women’s small group?” I looked up because I recognized the voice of a young lady from church. This encounter was so interesting because we had never crossed paths in this salon, and we apparently were regular customers. To this day, this was the only encounter that we had in this salon. It wasn’t seeing her there that is most memorable; it was her response to my reply that I was not leading a women’s small group that has resonated in my soul for the past five years. She turned to me and said, “You know, the Lord gives you a blessing, and if you choose not to accept it, He will move past you and give it to someone else.” I was totally speechless because she had spoken the truth. This young lady could have been my daughter, and the phrase “out of the mouth of babes” ran through my mind. And who says that the Lord does not use all people despite their age, gender, social class, and religious ties? A revealing word was spoken. I made the choice to accept God’s blessing and went on to lead a small group for several years. What did Moses do, and how did God respond?
Moses begged the Lord to send someone else. The Lord gave him his wish and sent Moses’ brother Aaron to be the speaker of His message. In this one exchange, we see Moses’ lack of courage and faith and his subtle tactic of resistance. Let’s face it, Moses did not want to be in charge, and he did not want to be the spokesperson. Isn’t it easy to yield to our weaknesses and fear so that we do not have to rise up and step out of our comfort zone? Just because we don’t want to be the one called to fulfill a command does not always mean that God won’t continue to call you. In the case of Moses, God used Aaron as the speaker, but Aaron still spoke the words from Moses that God gave him. It is amazing that God did not take “no” for an answer. He just showed himself in another way which did not leave Moses an opportunity to shrug and fade into the background. Instead, Moses still became the leader growing in his faith with courage. All of that whining, and what did Moses accomplish? Nothing. When he stopped whining and dwelling on his shortcomings, look at how his leadership (through God) rescued the Israelites from Egypt.
What about you? Are you mumbling and grumbling about what you have and don’t have? Are you whining because you feel called to complete an assignment from God that you would conveniently like to ignore? Perhaps, it is in your nature to whine whether life is going well or not. Have you focused on your weaknesses like Moses that you can’t see your blessings and strengths? Ask yourself these questions, and if you find yourself to be a questioning whiner, stop. In all of this, we recognize that Moses was a whiner, the question now is, are you?
Coffee Reflections 