As Christian leaders, God calls us to follow His will and His ways. Yet many of us hesitate because we doubt whether we’re really capable of what He’s asking us to do.
Moses is a perfect example.
It’s easy to forget why he was living in the desert in the first place. He wasn’t there by choice—he was running for his life. After discovering his true Hebrew identity and growing into adulthood, Moses became deeply troubled by the way his people were being treated. One day he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, he killed the Egyptian and buried his body in the sand (Exodus 2:11–12). When Pharaoh found out, he ordered Moses to be killed. So Moses fled into the wilderness of Midian.
Even after all those years, Moses never lost his desire to see his people set free. Then one day, at the burning bush, God met him with an incredible assignment.
“The cry of the children of Israel has come to Me… Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people… out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:9–10).
Talk about a big assignment!
Instead of responding with confidence, Moses immediately began explaining why he wasn’t the right person for the job. In fact, he gave God five different excuses. If we’re honest, they’re the same excuses many of us still make today. They keep us from stepping into everything God has planned for our lives.
Excuse #1: “Who am I?”
Moses’ first response was simple: “Why me?” He asked God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11).
He didn’t feel qualified. Maybe he felt overwhelmed by the size of the assignment. After all, forty years had passed since he had fled Egypt.
Have you ever felt that way? Maybe you’ve wondered if someone else is more gifted, more experienced, or more qualified than you.
God’s answer to Moses is the same answer He gives us today: “I will certainly be with you” (verse 12).
In other words, “Don’t focus on yourself. Focus on Me.”
That’s the difference-maker every time.
Excuse #2: “I Don’t Have All the Answers.”
Moses wasn’t finished making excuses. He said to God, “Suppose I go to the children of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me,’ and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ What do I tell them?” (Exodus 3:13).
Can you imagine? God had just called Moses to one of the greatest assignments in history, and Moses was worried he wouldn’t know how to answer people’s questions.
Sound familiar?
Sometimes we hesitate because we think we need to know everything before we step out in faith. We tell ourselves, What if someone asks me something I can’t answer? What if I don’t know enough?
God didn’t give Moses a long explanation or a theology lesson. He simply said, “‘I AM WHO I AM.’… Tell the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (verse 14).
In other words, God reminded Moses that the assignment wasn’t about him—it was about the One who sent him. Moses didn’t have to know everything because he knew the One who did.
The same is true for us. God isn’t looking for people who have all the answers. He’s looking for people who are willing to trust Him.
Excuse #3: “People Won’t Believe Me.”
Even after that, Moses still wasn’t convinced. He replied, “Suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice. Suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you’” (Exodus 4:1).
I love what happens next.
It’s almost as if God says, “Moses, you’re looking at the wrong thing. Stop focusing on your limitations and start looking at My power.”
The Lord told him to throw down his staff. When he did, it became a snake! Then God instructed him to pick it up by the tail, and it turned back into a staff.
Can you imagine witnessing that?
If I had been Moses, I probably would have reacted the same way he did—I would have run first and asked questions later!
But God was teaching Moses something important. The impossible wasn’t impossible when God was involved.
Moses struggled with the same fears we do. He looked at problems that seemed bigger than he was. He worried about situations he couldn’t control. Those kinds of thoughts steal our confidence and shrink our faith.
But God kept reminding him, “Trust Me. I’ve got this.”
That’s a reminder we all need.
When God calls us, He doesn’t expect us to carry the weight alone. He promises to provide what we need. He says He will never leave us or forsake us. He promises to supply every need according to His riches in glory.
Our job isn’t to figure everything out. Our job is simply to trust Him enough to take the next step.
