As a ten year old from a small town in East Tennessee, I hadn’t experienced very much. But on a special fall morning, I had the opportunity to visit the iconic amusement park, DollyWood. The smell of fried foods and sugar filled the air before we even made it into the park. I knew instantly this was going to be a good day. It was like a step back in time as we made our way through the hillbilly town complete with wooden toy guns and banjos I began to ask what we were going to do first. My mom, answered “We’re going to ride the Blazing Fury.” I had never ridden a roller coaster. My heart and mind filled with anxiety and fear as I saw the sign. The line was really short and before I could even process this new adventure I found myself in a cart gripping the lap bar with a death grip.
I can’t tell you much about what happened next. All I know is that when the ride finally came to a stop and the lap bar moved, I didn’t. I was frozen. I was in shock. My mom was shaking me. I could hear her but I wasn’t responding. The person controlling the ride started to shout at me to move. At some point, I snapped to it and eased off the ride. My confidence in my mom’s parenting decisions were ruined. The day was ruined. And I was NEVER and I mean NEVER going to ride a roller coaster again.
Today we are talking about … Confidence
Not long ago, I took a team of leaders on an offsite to work on our ministry.
To kick it off, we talked about an issue that affects everyone at one point or another, confidence. More specifically, we talked about a lack of confidence.
Over time, I’ve discovered how important it is, as a leader, to regularly teach on this topic. Our team (including myself) is often rattled by life situations that bring into question our calling. We're not alone in this. For just a moment let's look to the life of Moses and examine his lack of confidence.
The story starts in Exodus 2, with the burning bush. However, let's pick it up in Exodus 4:10, as Moses replied to God, “Moses said to the Lord, ‘Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.’”
It’s easy for us to see a man who is shaken by the calling God has for his life, but compare this to what Stephen says in Acts 7:22, "Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.”
Wait. Is Moses equipped for his calling or not?
The answer...of course he is. God knew Moses and he wasn't intimidated by Moses' handicaps. From this scriptural discovery we land on a simple truth:
My lack of confidence does not change God’s calling on my life.
At some point in your life you answered God's call and stepped into His ministry. On that day, you were confident. On that day, the possibilities were endless. On that day, the journey looked fun and exciting.
Life happened.
Some leaders let you down. Parents found their calling to be your opposition. A child was hurt. Your budget was cut. The senior leadership changed. Someone said you were not good enough.
Life rattles us. It's tough and messy and hurtful. At some point everyone feels like throwing in the towel because, "Surely, there is someone else who could do a better job." In those moments you must remember that God hasn't lost faith in you. He called YOU, knowing full well the circumstances you would face.
When you encounter life and find your confidence shaken, look to the heavens and remember His calling, power, and strength are enough. Take a deep breath, gather your confidence, and get back on the horse.
After all, your confidence in your calling, or lack thereof, will either set the world on fire or become a consuming flame that destroys you.
Bottom Line: My lack of confidence does not change God’s calling on my life.
I did eventually get over my fear of roller coasters at the age of 16 and all it took was a group of pretty girls.
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