~ Fear of the Start

For most of us I would imagine we stop with the fear of failure, we do not start something because we fear that committing to something may end in failure.  That would be embarrassing so we quit before we start.

This morning I was reminded of the paralytic man in Matthew Chapter 9 who Jesus said “pick up your bed and walk”.  He did not bend down and take the man’s hand to help him up; in fact this call was the second healing for that man received on the day.  First Jesus offered him forgiveness and the walk statement was made in reply to blaspheme allegations from the religious lawyer as a result Jesus’ offer of forgiveness.

This man received no physical assistance, first he had to stand to received his healing.  There was no if, but, or maybe, about Jesus intent.  There was no dialogue. H\is healing was as a result of his friend’s faith but he had to do it first.

There are a number of other events like, and unlike, this one.  Noah was told to build an Ark, a great big boat that God gave him the measurements for, and he just went about it. There was another who was different that man was Moses.

Moses had at one stage had a boat, the crib that an Egyptian Princess found him in.  This boat made him a surrogate Egyptian prince and as a Hebrew son of faith he killed a guard who was dealing harshly with his countrymen.  As a result of this action Moses ran to the “badlands” of Midian where he met his future wife.

This brings us to the story of the burning bush.  Moses the Hebrew son in law to a Midianite priest was out looking after his father in law’s sheep and goats. He noticed a bush that seemed to be on fire and as he approached the bush God spoke out of it. 

God told Moses that He wanted Moses to return to Egypt and tell the King to release God’s people to allow them to go to their own territory.  Not surprising Moses came up with “yes but” replies, under the circumstances I am not sure what my answer would have been, it potentially could have meant a death sentence for Moses. On the other hand death might have seemed preferable to getting this God who spoke out of a burning bush upset.

Moses’ first question not surprisingly was “why me?” God responds “I will be with you”.  Alright if I go what if I do go, what do I say to my countrymen?  So God gives Moses the name to tell them.  Next it was “what if they do not want to listen to me?”  So God gave him a sign “the rod that became a serpent” plus second sign for the doubters.  Finally Moses comes up with the big problem “I am not a speaker so God tells him to team up with his brother Aaron who could be his mouthpiece.

Problems solved Moses returned to Egypt to face the task that God asked him do.  He brought out the people of God from their slavery to a new life in the Land of Promise.  He only did this by actually taking the step of returning to the country where he had run from a death sentence and fronted not only his people but the Pharaoh who had ordered the sentence.

Fear of failure is not the big fear.  We fail when we refuse to start. Starting something can have two outcomes – we can fail or we can succeed.  In the story of Moses we see a man who had every reason not to start but saves his people by taking his life in his hands and obeys God.  Where do you stand on the go or don’t go position?