Grace Given
On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 represents not-at-all and 10 represents totally, how much are you like Moses? I know, it seems like an odd question. Realistically, it’s also a very broad question. Perhaps you answered 8 because your parents took you boating a lot when you were small. Maybe you answered 1 because you’ve never met an Egyptian, let alone killed one. You could’ve answered 9 if you spend a lot of time in the desert. Or it may be you chose 5, going straight down the middle, because you like to lead but you are only in charge of a small group. What if I asked: on a scale of 1 to 10, were 1 represents not-at-all and 10 represents totally, how quick are you to tell God “don’t pick me, pick someone else?” That’s when I feel most like Moses.
I find myself acting like Moses more than I care to admit. I remember the year we were buried in snow and still it kept falling. I would be out shoveling and often felt God nudging me to shovel my neighbor’s sidewalk. I confess I was quick to tell God I had already been outside too long, it was cold and I was so sore. When I receive emails to take a meal to a church family in need, I find myself giving God excuses like, I’m not a good cook or, it’s such a busy week. At times I sense God prompting me to call someone and check to see how she is doing. I imagine God might roll His eyes at me as I ramble out excuses. I suspect He wonders when I’ll willingly say yes the moment He calls on me. My guess is you have your own list of experiences when you have given God a list of Moses-like excuses.
God recently asked me to step out in obedience. I followed. And I struggled. I ran through a gamut of emotions: determined, unsure, frustrated, anger, and feeling used. I tried to do what God asked of me, but in my mind I wondered why I hadn’t given God a Moses-excuse and told Him to send someone else. God graciously met me in the middle of my conflict. The Holy Spirit spoke to me through Ephesians 3:8. “This grace was given to me — the least of all the saints – to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of Christ.” (CSB)
God gently pointed out to my soul that Paul was asked to do something far beyond His comfort zone. He was a Jew’s Jew and he was asked to spread the gospel to the Gentiles of all people! The Holy Spirit also pointed out to me that Paul didn’t necessarily feel as if he was the best choice for this task since he described himself as “the least of all the saints.” God was hitting my buttons, dealing straight with the issues I was whining about in my head.
The phrase that captivated me was the beginning of the verse: “This grace was given…” Grace. “The freely given, unmerited favor and love of God.”[i]Paul was gifted the favor of God. He didn’t deserve it; he most definitely needed it. That’s the thing with grace. God knows I don’t always feel up for what He asks of me, He knows my fears and limitations. And still He gives grace; He gives me His favor and His love. His grace enables me, even if I feel to be least of all the options. His grace covers my fumbling and stumbling as I work outside my safe-zone. His grace strengthens me as I face the enemy so that His work will be accomplished.
What is God asking of you? Have you been giving Him Moses-like excuses like I tend to do? Are you feeling as if you are totally unqualified, that there is surely someone better equipped? Are you afraid it’s too far removed from comfort zone? Are you afraid God’s calling is just too big to manage? Paul learned how great God’s grace is and he passed on some encouragement to his disciple Timothy that is good for our ears to hear as well. “He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” (2 Timothy 1:9, CSB) Grace has been given. It’s time we obediently said “yes.”
