“But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?'”-Exodus 3:11
Every time I read the Scriptures, I am continually brought face-to-face with the fact that the type of person God calls into service for Him is so completely opposite to the type of person lauded in the world today.
In school and business circles, we are continually bombarded with cliche aphorisms like “believe in yourself!” or “put in your best effort!“
However, the Bible says “Don’t trust in your flesh!” and “lean not on your own understanding”.
The image of the sophisticated, suave, and self-assured individual confidently trampling over his or her enemies while carving their own way in the world is held up as the standard we should all strive towards.
However, the encounter Moses had with God paints quite a different picture and departs quite radically from the worldly ideal.
Have you ever harbored grand visions of God turning you into a great prophet who commands great respect and influence on the world stage?
If so, I’ve got a wakeup call for you.
You’re NOT qualified.
The first thing we notice is that God was the one who initiated contact with Moses.
Becoming a prophet of God isn’t like some job interview where you emphasize your seminary qualifications and ministry experience in the hopes that you’ll be chosen.
God will choose whom He will choose.
However, if one were to identify one singular trait the Lord looks for in choosing a prophet to accomplish a given monumental task it would be this:
THE LACK OF PERSONAL AMBITION
When we examine the lives of the great prophets in the Scriptures, the points in common they all seem to have are an intense reluctance to take on the job God had called them to and a lack of self-confidence.
“Who am I to accomplish such a thing?”
or
“Lord, please ask somebody else.”
These seem to be the common responses given when the Lord approached them.
The reason humbleness is so important is because the potential prophet must fully understand that minus God’s supernatural help, there is no way in hell he or she will be able to achieve what God has called him or her to.
Folks, let’s get something straight.
It ain’t fun being a prophet.
The person chosen has to return to society where he or she will be subjected to much ridicule and even violence.
And prophets may never see the fruits of their labor until well after their death.
So if you’re looking for fame and fortune, trust me, you don’t want to be a prophet.
Come to think of it, based on everything I just wrote, I’m pretty much disqualified from being a prophet.
I’ve got way to much prideful ego, untamed sexual desire, and selfish desires to meet the prophet qualifications as defined in the Bible (in fact, my ego is rearing its ugly head right now as I write this, secretly prideful in the vulnerability I just expressed.)
Anyway, it seems that according to the Scriptures, paradoxically, the number one qualification to becoming a prophet is that the person has zero desire to become a prophet.
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