Last week we wrote about our collective struggle to wait on God – when we take the lead to accomplish what we believe God wants, but ahead of his timing. Our lives, and Scripture, are full of examples of this human tendency. But what about the opposite situation – where God is clearly leading us to take action now, but we hesitate, delay, or even say “no.” Our lives are littered with those kind of examples as well, as is Scripture.
Jonah’s story may be the pinnacle of rebellion against God’s missionary plan for someone, but consider Moses, someone who eventually does go… but makes God work for it.
Moses was special. His parents knew it. Pharaoh’s daughter knew it when she found him in the Nile. God knew it and had a significant plan for Moses, and for Israel through Moses. Moses knew it when he tried to carry out God’s plan ahead of God’s timing (another example of “getting ahead” of God). But after 40 years of being humbled in the desert as a shepherd, Moses was not so sure anymore.
God appeared to him in a miraculous way, gave him miraculous signs for proof, and finally allowed his brother Aaron to be part of the plan (something that turned out poorly in the end) before Moses would agree to “go.” And he went nearly certain in his humanness that he was going to his death.
We could probably all share stories from our lives about times when God has prompted us and we have played the Moses, or even the Jonah. The point of this post is not to have us beat ourselves up over past failures but to look forward to the next time God clearly leads. How will we respond then?
Fear drives all of us in some way. If you have taken the Enneagram personality profile you know that each profile has a dark side, a “shadow mission,” which is driven by fear. Not all fear-driven action is bad, but some of it can keep you from receiving and doing God’s best for you. Throw fear into your burning bush.
Expectations shape us and direct our decisions. This can happen whether those expectations come from ourselves or from others. Unrealistic or false expectations will never lead you to fullness in Christ. Throw your expectations into your burning bush.
Pride may be the most dangerous motivator. It causes us to hesitate or to turn away from God’s will for us. Thinking of ourselves as masters of our fate always takes us down paths to ruin. Throw pride into your burning bush.
Make a commitment today, with us, that you will – even with trembling hands, feet, and voice – say “yes” to God’s prompting today. Walk through that door into God’s best. Don’t settle for less than that!