what's this all about?

Week two of The Fresh Prince of Egypt will be about how Moses reluctantly obeyed God when God told him to lead the Israelite people out of Egyptian bondage (Exodus 3-12). I am really enjoying studying through this guy’s life. But something is hitting me while I am preparing. I had seen this aspect of Moses’ life before but it is settling in at a new level for me.

All of this information about Moses; his rescue from the Nile, growing up as a prince, his failure, going into exile, even the burning bush experience… none of this was about Moses at all. It was all about God and it was all about the people that needed to be led into freedom. It appears to me that Moses was at least mildly self-focused. His responses to God at the burning bush revealed that. Interestingly, God did not deal with this directly. In fact, it is as though God just let Moses think what he wanted to think while He got him in a place where he could be utilized.

Have you ever thought of Moses as being selfish? He is not in slavery. He is not living in Egypt, he is a free man. He is married, has a steady job, has kids. What about those he had left behind? He had family members and friends who were existing under the heavy hand of Pharaoh. How did he feel about these people? Sure, he had committed a crime and was on the run, but his efforts were to save his own life. He cared more for his well being than that of his own flesh and blood. He was allowing his own personal failure and the resulting pain keep him from doing what God had called him to do; deliver the people. He was selfish. After forty years, and a lot of arguing with God, Moses finally got it. He accepted his responsibility as the liberator of the children of Israel.

So much of what God is doing in us is not about us at all. Our challenges, our transitions, our defeats and victories – while they certainly include us, there is a bigger picture. The people of God are put on this earth to serve God and to serve others. Many of the details of our lives are put into place for the purposes of preparing us to fulfill this call more effectively. Don’t kid yourself, it’s not all about you.

I will try to remember that later today when something happens. “It’s not about me.” It sure FEELS like it is about me. Sometimes I WANT it to be about me. But it’s not.

Someone needs to be set free and God is calling me to that, preparing me for that.