Day 4- Audacious, Not Proud

Bible Reading: Exodus 3: 1-22

If you’ve ever seen a soccer game go into a penalty shoot out, there’s sometimes this bitter-sweet moment that I like to see at the end: When one of the players of the team that eventually wins the game actually missed his own penalty during the shootout.  When everyone is celebrating at the end, there’s always that bitter-sweet feel- he’s celebrating as a champion, but he is well aware that if it were down to me, we lost; but down to what I’m a part of, we won.

Do you come across that tension in your journey of grace? Down to me, I’m weak and unable; but down to the grace of God with me, I can do all things! I’m so human, but walking in the realities of something more.

God is comfortable leading us to walk that tension!

James makes it clear about how God detests the proud (James 4:6) How do we find the balance of walking a journey where we’re standing up in audacity, but not becoming proud at heart? 

I think one of the ways God graciously helps us walk that journey is by making us walk in the tension of being graced human beings- not super men/women, not angels, not perfect people, but real human beings that have found such an empowering grace.

It keeps our hearts humble when we realize that truly we’re walking in great, audacious grounds, but it’s not even about us. 

In our reading today, Moses goes through one excuse after another- or maybe, one reason after another- as to why he cannot stand up to this audacious assignment of delivering a message to the most powerful world leader of the time. He goes on even into the next chapter. He has restrains such as his poor esteem of himself (3:11), his poor knowledge of God (3:13), general fears (4:1); non eloquence / slow speech (4:10)… and then a flat ‘someone else will be better to do it’ (4:13)

In each instance, God offers Moses assurances of His own presence with Him, not of changing the situations.

You see, grace doesn’t always take away the humanity in us, but it offers us the assurance of God’s presence with us.

Grace is not saying Moses will stop being a stammerer, but it is saying that because of God’s presence with him, stammering will not be a hinderance in fulfilling God’s assignment. Grace is not saying that Zacchaeus will not be short anymore, but it is saying that he will find a tree when he needs it. Grace is not saying that the thorn in Paul’s flesh will leave, but it is saying that he will find a sufficiency in God. Grace is not saying that Gideon will no longer be the least of the least, but it is saying that God will be with him.

Down to me, I’m weak and unable; but down to the grace of God with me, I can do all things!

I really want to be audacious, but I don’t want an audacity that comes at the cost of a humble heart. I don’t want to become proud because of the new frontiers I’m walking in. Here’s your helpful reminder when you’re getting so full of yourself- you’re a graced human being.

Something To Pray
Pray today for a right heart posture for all that the Lord is doing in you and through you. Pray to not be any less audacious, but at the same time, to not be any less humble.