During my first few years of high school teaching, I was unsure about so many things. There was one interaction, however, that jarred me out of my insecurity. The principal stopped me one day in the hallway and asked if I would consider being the assistant principal. I was dumbfounded. What could he possibly see in me that would make such a request plausible, even credible? Perhaps he had made a terrible mistake in his choice. After considering his offer, I graciously declined because I knew my place was in the classroom, yet that one moment has stayed with me all these years. He saw something in me that I didn’t see and called me out as a leader.
Recently I read the story of the calling of Moses and recognized the parallel. Moses saw himself as a murderer, a fugitive, resigned to end his life as a shepherd in the desert, but God saw something more. He saw a leader, and the one He had chosen to rescue His people. Moses was also dumbfounded at the offer: “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Ex. 3:11). Moses was resistant, thinking God had made a terrible mistake, but God eventually overcame his resistance. The rest of the story is one of the great redemptive epics of all time.
Moses’ story is unique, but the way God dealt with him certainly isn’t. God created us out of love, put distinct gifts in us, and knows what will give us joy. But we are blinded by our insecurities and fears. We cannot see ourselves as He sees us and so respond to His initiatives with resistance. But what if God is calling us out to do and become what we were created for? What if His calling is our deepest joy? What if answering that calling, even if it means walking into terrible unknowns, is the life we have been looking for? Yet, how do we know for sure? What guarantee are we given if we jump?
The answer to this question is the answer Moses got. God didn’t give him a litany concerning his preparation and gifts for such a job. Instead He responded with five words: “I will be with you” (v.12). If we follow His calling, we get His company, His voice, His coaching. It’s what we need to live out our destinies. It’s all we need to live them out.
So what does God see in you? It’s undoubtedly more than you see in yourself. To answer His call is to start becoming that person.
