Called Anyway.

We have all been in a position where we were the face of a decision that was not ours.

Maybe it’s the cool aunt who has to tell her niece no ice cream because her mom said so. Or maybe it’s the boss who has to lay off 100 people he works closely with because the money was not there this year and the CEO made the call.

Who catches the wrath after that conversation? Is it the person who made the decision, or the person who had to deliver it? Typically, it is the one delivering it. That is because they are standing face to face with the individual affected. And those conversations are rarely pretty.

As a leader, this can be tough. Sometimes we have to lead our people through a process that was never our idea to begin with. Sometimes it does not even make sense to us. But we still show up because we need our job and people are depending on us.

So let’s think about Moses.

Moses was guiding the Israelites to the Land of Canaan, also known as the Promised Land. But this journey was far from butterflies and rainbows. It is estimated that nearly two million people were following his lead. About a month into the journey, the people began to complain that they were hungry.  And we all know what happens when a group of hungry people start talking. Complaints turn into rumors, and the rumor was “Moses brought us out here to die”.

That could not have been further from the truth, but belief spreads quick when fear takes over. Before long, it was two million people against Moses.

Now put yourself in his position. What would you do? Personally, I would be scrambling to find something edible before I became the appetizer. I might even pass some of the blame. “I didn’t bring us here. God did.” Or I would get defensive in an effort to protect myself.

But Moses did not do that.

Instead, Moses turned to God and said, “Alright Lord, they’re hungry. What do I tell em?”

And God then provided. Each morning, the dew turned into a sweet, wafer-like substance. The people were instructed to gather only enough for their household for that day. God promised He would provide it every morning.

That is a big trust moment.

Some people didn’t trust Him. They collected extra, hoarding it just in case it didn’t come the next morning. And sure enough, their stored bread turned sour and filled with worms. Wormy bread is not on my menu, FYI.

I can almost imagine God saying, “Trust Me.. Trust Me.. CAN YOU PLEASE JUST TRUST ME.” Like, why does he have to remind us so many times he's got it? 

The Israelites faced a battle on their journey against the Amalekites. As long as Moses held his staff in the air, the Israelites were winning. When his arms got tired and the staff came down, they began to lose. Victory depended on Moses keeping that staff raised.

Moses was chosen for his position because God knew he could handle it. You were chosen for yours for the same reason. We forget that sometimes, especially after a few hardships in a row. When things get tough it is hard to stay motivated. It's easy to say "maybe this isn't for me". That's because we are trying to carry it all on our own and it was never meant to be carried by us to begin with.

Sometimes you have to take the hit for decisions that were never yours. But remember this, those moments are still leading you somewhere better. Hardships are meant to condition you, protect you, and teach you something. Let them.

We often get in our own way because we struggle to trust God in the process. We want control because we believe we know what’s best.

News flash. We do not.

Whether you are leading people through change you chose or change you were handed, God still calls you to trust Him in the process.

When we are faced with conflict, we shouldn't try to solve it on our own. God allows conflict to see if we will call on Him. Use the most powerful resource you have available, God.

Conflict, hardship, rough seasons, whatever you want to call them, they are going to happen. But they happen for a reason. The question is are we trusting God to teach us what He wants us to learn, or are we stuck in a “why me again” mindset?

This is a reminder that when we surrender control to God, we win. Just like the battle between the Israelites and the Amalekites. Even when the season is hard, God is still in control. Turn to Him in the middle of hardship and let Him fight for you.

-AR