Leaders Who Make Excuses

Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” Exodus 3:11 Most of us can list excuses as to why we don’t lead effectively, just as Moses did. When God called him, he instantly thought of five reasons why he couldn’t lead. Do these same five reasons impact your leadership: 1. Who am I? Moses struggled with his identity. He didn’t feel qualified. He thought God had picked the wrong leader. God’s response: It doesn’t matter who you are, I am with you. 2. Who are you? Moses felt a lack of intimacy. He didn’t know God well enough to describe Him to the people and lacked convictions concerning his relationship with God. God’s response: I am ever powerful, ever present, and everything that you need. 3. What if they don’t listen? Moses felt intimidated. He worried about the people’s reaction to him. God’s response: When I am finished, they will listen. 4. I’ve never been a good speaker. Moses was concerned about his own inadequacies. Who would listen to him if he couldn’t even speak well? God’s response: I made you, including your mouth. 5. I know you can find someone else. Moses felt inferior. He compared himself to others – even his own brother – and decided that he (himself) came up short. God’s response: OK, I will surround you with people who will support you…but I am still calling you. If you think about it, many of these excuses (and God’s responses) may resonate in your own life or in the lives of other leaders you have known: You may feel inferior, you may lack faith in the relationships of authorities around you, you may worry about the response of those you are called to lead, you may fret about your own inadequacies, and/or you may compare yourself to others. But God’s responses remain the same. What’s your excuse for not appropriately leading? I’d love to talk to you personally. For more on help I can provide and how you can reach me, check out… http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com