first step

It’s not about you…… Take the First Step!

Its been a remarkable year so far! Remarkable does not mean it’s not been without its own bit of challenges – in fact this has been one of the most challenging year for me especially when it comes to finance but yet again it’s been one that I have made the most strides professionally which makes finance secondary because I have come to the conclusion that it’s not about me………!

While going through my mail this morning, I saw this life changing mail from Bible Gateway (signup to receive their daily emails) titled “Kill the Messenger” – I intend to share the details of that mail below but before then let me just add my line of thoughts.

  • Firstly, you are not living for yourself. God has a purpose for your life and it is not dependent on any man or situation. Good luck to all those who do not believe there is a God somewhere, without apologies I do believe that He is the Author & Finisher of my faith.
  • Secondly, when God gives you a vision he has already given you all that is required to start and complete move. The case of Moses shared below proves that fact.
  • Finally, we most of the time tend to think that we need all the necessary skills required to start a project, well maybe sometimes we do but certainly not all the time. The case of Moses again proves that you can embark on a project without acquiring all the skills a 100% and by the time you take the first step, the abilities and skills you never thought you had will sprout up. By the way, practice makes perfect so by the time you start, you’ll get better along the way.

its not about you but about God’s mercy on you.

Read & Share “Kill the Messenger”

Exodus 6:1–13

Recommended Reading: John 15:1–4; Acts 2:1–47; 1 Corinthians 15:10

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, three of the most dangerous occupations in the United States are those of a logger, an airline pilot and a fisherman.

Of course, a logger deals with the tremendous weight and unpredictable nature of falling trees. A pilot faces the danger of working tens of thousands of feet above the ground. And a commercial fisherman constantly runs the risk of drowning.

In the ancient world the job of messenger might have topped this list. Like most people, ancient rulers hated getting bad news. However, unlike most other people, they had the power to do something about it, and they did—by executing the person who delivered the news! When the Roman emperor Tiberius received an astrological prediction he didn’t like, he hurled the messenger off a cliff.

So who can blame Moses for being reluctant to deliver the news to Pharaoh that the Israelites, his slave laborers, were hitting the road? God gave Moses an assignment no one would envy. And like most unenthusiastic recruits, Moses tried to talk his way out of the job. He pointed out that Pharaoh probably wouldn’t listen to him. And Moses reminded God that public speaking wasn’t his forte.

Moses didn’t realize that the success of his mission didn’t depend on his skills; it depended on his faithfulness. God could have sent anyone to deliver the message to Pharaoh—even one of Moses’ sheep. But God picked Moses instead. And he gave Moses the strength and skills he needed to complete the assignment. (Emphasis mine just to encourage to take the first step.)

That’s important to remember when it comes to the things God calls us to do. Just as it was for Moses, it’s easy for us to reason and argue with God. “But God, I don’t have the skills to be a leader at church.” Or, “God, why don’t you send someone else? No one will listen to what I have to say.”

Yet what we see as our own weaknesses shouldn’t stop us from carrying out our God-given assignments, because with our marching orders come God’s strength and assistance. Remember, the success of our mission doesn’t depend on our skills. It depends on our faithfulness.

To Take Away

  • What can you do to increase your trust in God’s strength?
  • When have you stepped out in faith even though you didn’t feel prepared for an assignment from God?
  • Do you feel God leading you to do something for which you feel you’re not qualified? Pray about it today and ask for God’s empowerment and courage in your life.

Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. – Martin Luther King Jnr.