Greater Than Fear of Weakness

Weakness. That word just keeps coming back. I've written about weakness twice in the past few months: Power in Weakness and Anecdotes From a Faithful Wuss. And I guess I'm writing about it again. 

There is so much we can talk or write about when it comes to weakness. The Bible has a lot to say about it, and we experience it everyday. 

We're weak. We can't live up. We aren't perfect. We aren't immortal. We're fallible. We fail. Our bodies fail. Our minds fail. Our strength fails. 

Weakness can be tied up with imperfection and failure, but weakness is also something we often don't have control over. 

Just like I keep coming back to weakness, I'm coming back to Moses too. 

A few days ago I wrote about Moses and his encounter with God at the burning bush, and I want to revisit that, because there's always more to glean from Scripture. 

Exodus 4:1-17

Take the time to read it, think about it and come back. 

Did you read it? 

​God tells Moses to go. He gives Moses a mission and he wants to send Moses, but Moses offers up excuses and inadequacies that he believes disqualify him from God's task. 

But God does not answer those fears or doubts of inadequacy. Instead, he continues to tell Moses that He will be with Moses in the task. 

But Moses continues: 

Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.
Exodus 4:10

Moses' weakness is his speech, and he presents this weakness as an obstacle that will keep him from accomplishing what he has been called to.  

How does God respond?

Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.
Exodus 4:11

God plans on using Moses despite his weakness because God is God, and He has power over speech. 

Pretty cool, huh? The God of the universe made man's mouth. He makes people mute, but he also makes people eloquent. And he promises to be with Moses' mouth. The God of the universe with all the power of the universe will also teach Moses what he should speak. 

Moses' response? 

Oh, my Lord, please send someone else. 
​Exodus 4:13

Moses' weakness makes him fearful, and he doesn't trust that God can use his weakness. 

I'm like Moses. I look at all of my weaknesses, and I become fearful. 

My weaknesses keep me from taking steps of faith. 

I'm a verbal processor so sometimes I'm not very articulate in what I say and I ramble on, so it makes me fearful to share my thoughts in groups. 

I also struggle with people pleasing. It's a weakness, and it often keeps me from boldly taking steps of faith like speaking the truth in love. 

I'm fearful of my weaknesses, and like Moses I don't believe that God can use my weaknesses, but He can and He does. 

And He often calls me to boldly trust Him in the midst of my weaknesses and fears, like Moses. 

God tells Moses that He will be with him and that He will use him, but Moses lets his fear be greater than his faith. 

When I let my weaknesses dictate my actions, I'm also letting my fear be greater than my faith in God. 

But God is still greater. He uses our weaknesses despite ourselves. God ultimately used Moses to lead His people, despite his fears and weaknesses. God had Moses speak through his brother Aaron, but Moses still accomplished God's task. 

God can and will use our weaknesses for His glory. We don't have to be fearful of our weaknesses or allow them to keep us from taking steps of faith. God is bigger than our weaknesses and our fears. 

So what about you? Are there weaknesses that you have that make you fearful? And will you take a step of faith and trust that God is bigger than your weaknesses and can use them for His glory?

This post is part of a 31 day series called Faith > Fear. You can read all of the posts in the series here.