God called on Moses to do a mighty task: “Bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”1 But Moses had been gone from Egypt 40 years. And when God spoke this to him, Moses was a lowly sheep herder. And so, his response was, “Who am I?”2 Which seems like a very reasonable question. For Moses was concerned that not only was he not a politician who would know how to handle the mighty Pharaoh, but he didn’t really consider himself to be a good leader, and he knew that he wasn’t a very good public speaker and neither Pharaoh nor the Israelites would listen to him because . . . well, why would they? Who was he?
But God did not answer Moses’ question! Why? Because it was irrelevant! It did not matter who Moses was, who Moses thought he was, or who anyone else thought he was. What mattered was who God was. God’s answer to Moses’ question, “Who am I?” was, “But I will be with you.”3 Which was probably a bit confusing to Moses. He might have thought, “Yeah, but how does that solve all these problems?”
But it does! Moses was focused on himself and all his shortcomings. He felt incompetent to accomplish such a great task. And he was right to feel that way! But it was not about Moses. It was about God. God’s presence would give Moses the competence and the confidence to implement and complete the task. What he needed to understand was that God would not only be with him every step of the way, he would equip him for the job.
The same is true for us. When God calls us to do something, he will supply everything we need to get the job done. It is not about us! Our confidence and our competence, then, is not in ourselves, but in Christ. “Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant.”4
When Paul was struggling with his weaknesses and praying that God would remove them, God answered, “For my grace is sufficient for you; my power is made perfect in weakness.”5 It is our weakness that God uses to work his mighty power! Moses was absolutely right about his weaknesses. That’s what God was looking for. Moses was not confident in himself, nor should he have been! Our confidence, which we must have to do mighty things, “is ours through Christ.” And because of Christ, “we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus.”6 “Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.”7
Paul tells us, “I can do all things though him who strengthens me . . . And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”8 This is an amazing concept to grasp! There is nothing that God calls us to do that we cannot do—and do well! Amazingly well! For Christ “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”9 It is “his power that is at work within us” that makes all things possible through our insufficiencies!
So, when God asks us to do something and we immediately think of several reasons we cannot do it, we are actually in the perfect position to complete the task. All we need to do at this point is realize that it is not about us. God’s answer to all our objections is simply this: “But I will be with you.” And that is all we need.
1Exodus 3:10 2Exodus 3:11 3Exodus 3:12 42 Corinthians 3:4-6 NIV 52 Corinthians 9:12 6Hebrews 10:19 7Hebrews 10:35 8Philippians 4:13, 19 9Ephesians 2:20
