One,Two,Three – Not It

Do you ever feel like God picked the wrong person when he chose you and gave you an assignment? Do you ever think: “I’m not good enough? I don’t have enough education or experience. This terrifies me. God is going to have to choose someone else?” One-two-three-not-it!

Well, believe it or not, there were many very normal people in the Bible that did amazing things for the Lord, who had these same thoughts and feelings, and God picked them just like He has picked you and me!

Why Me?

Moses was a happily married man, working for his father-in-law as a shepherd. God appeared to him, really kinda freaked him out, and then gave him an unbelievable assignment. He basically told Moses his new job was going to be talking royalty into letting thousands of slaves go and then leading these now-free people on a journey. No more shepherding sheep- Now you’re going to shepherd thousands of people, who are also going to complain the whole time! That doesn’t sound like a fun job! And what did Moses say? “But why me?” He even objected and begged God to pick someone else. But God was like, Nope. I pick you. (Exodus Chapters 3 & 4) When I read the story of Moses, I often think… Poor Moses. He worked so hard and did everything God required of him… he messed up one time… and he doesn’t get to go into the Promise Land after all that! If that doesn’t make you reverent with holy fear of the Lord, I don’t know what will!

Many of the prophets had very difficult tasks. As I read their stories, I was thankful that the Lord hadn’t asked me to walk around town naked or marry a prostitute to complete my assignment! He often told these men to do some crazy things just to get his point across. Talk about an attention-getter before giving a speech! [Anyone else remember their college speech class?] The prophet Ezekiel was actually teleported by the Spirit of God to the location of his assignment, and the word says he went bitterly and angrily. (Ezekiel 3:14-15 MSG) I laughed when I read that he sat there for seven days on the banks of the river, ‘appalled’! I’m sure many of us have been there, unhappily obeying what God has asked us to do! Well, God let him have his pity party, but then after seven days , He said: Open your mouth. Obey, or I’ll hold you responsible. Again, holy fear of the Lord!

Challenging Assignments

Then there is Mary, the mother of Jesus. Can you even imagine being the young girl chosen to be the mother of THE SON OF GOD? Not just carrying a King in your womb, but raising and educating that child? To protect that child from harm, to steward that little personality and life into adulthood? The responsibility would make any of us ladies tremble! I’m curious how many of us today would say, “No way! You couldn’t pay me to do that! Choose someone else! I don’t want that responsibility! I want a simple life, a quiet life!” Yet… what an honor for Mary to have been selected. A true honor! The Bible says after asking a few questions, “Mary responded saying ‘Yes! I will be a mother for the Lord! As his servant, I accept whatever He has for me.’” (Luke 1:38 TPT) How many of us say no to much smaller assignments that the Lord asks of us? Are we dishonoring God by remaining comfortable in our little worlds that we have made for ourselves?

Lastly, there is Peter. Peter was a spirited fella who followed Jesus whole heartily. He said some of the darnedest things, took risks, and stumbled, yet Jesus still picked him to not only be one of his closest friends, but also the very first pastor of the First Church! (Matt 16:17-18 MSG) Could you imagine if Peter had said, “…Actually… one-two-three-not-it!” And pointed to one of his friends to lead? As someone who is in leadership at a church, leading people is not for the faint of heart. It is quite the task, as Moses and Peter were made well aware of! I couldn’t help but meditate on this as I read it. Despite the challenge of the assignment, can we just focus on the honor of being asked for a moment? What an honor to be trusted with the hearts of others. To shepherd others. Thank you, Jesus, for picking me!

Maybe you are in a place where you don’t know what God has asked you to do. Or perhaps you’ve only seen a glimpse and don’t yet know the next step. Maybe you know exactly what you’re supposed to do, but you’re intimidated. Our assignment takes place on the road of discovery. Peter realized that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the living God! God the Father had let him in on that secret before anyone else! Peter was enlightened; he’d had a revelation! Jesus told him, now that you know who I am, “I’m going to tell you who YOU are. Who you REALLY are.” Matt 10:38-39 MSG says, “If you don’t go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don’t deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you will never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me.”

Knowing Yourself

The truth is that all that inferiority we feel comes from a lack of knowing who we are. The irony is, if we want to know ourselves, we have to know him first. We have to surrender to his leading and his plans for our lives, not our ideas of what we think we want. These are the words of Jesus in Mark 8:34-37 MSG, Calling the crowd to join his disciples, He said “anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?” 

He says it so well. Embrace the life He has for you, and He’ll show you how.