Becoming a Moses.

Recently I've been reading a book by a family friend, Chuck DeGroat, called Leaving Egypt: Finding God in the Wilderness Places. I would highly recommend it; it's an incredible book that uses the Exodus story as an analogy for our lives and the struggles we face. But one theme in particular struck a chord with me. Chuck talks about challenging people, and having people in your life that are willing to be honest with you and say what you need to hear. He calls this kind of person a "Moses" in your life, and he says that they can challenge us "with a vision for life beyond my brokenness" and "to become a unique image of God."

After reading this, and through a few conversations with different people, I'm realizing that I need more challenging in my life. I need to be more active about letting others know that I am open to being challenged, and then have an open, humble mind when I am challenged. I also need to be more willing to challenge other people.

I need to be more open to being challenged by others, and make it clear that I am open to it. I am a proud person, and when people point out my flaws and mistakes, my first instinct is to get defensive and present myself in a better light. But I really do want to people to challenge me and tell me when I'm in error.  There are blind spots in my life that are painfully obvious to other people, but that I am blissfully unaware of, or unwilling to face. So to anyone reading this, know that I am open to being challenged and actually would really appreciate it. And I am working on receiving criticism and hard truths with humility and an open mind.

I also need to challenge others more than I do, and with a better mindset. A lot of the time, I'm too scared to challenge someone when I see them doing or thinking something wrong or harmful. I'm scared that they will respond with anger or hurt, and not want to be friends with me anymore. But this is a selfish fear. If what I'm doing is really done with wisdom and love, and will help someone live a more godly life or open their eyes to something they need to be made aware of, then I need to put them first. If I really loved them, I would do what was best for them, rather than holding back just to protect myself.

I'm also scared that I don't have the wisdom to tell someone what they need to hear, and that I'll do more harm than good. This is probably a healthier fear to have, because I obviously don't know everything and could potentially do serious damage and really hurt people by speaking what I mistakenly think is the truth. But again, if I sincerely love the person I am challenging, want what's best for them, and seek God's wisdom constantly, then I have to trust that God can use me to say what needs to be said.

A challenger will not be focused on pointing out flaws or getting rid of the bad in a person's life. Going back to Chuck's words about a "Moses" figure, the best challenger is one that seeks to bring the other person to a healthier place, a place more in line with God's will for their life. I need to keep this in mind as I challenge others, and I hope that my friends will keep it in mind when they challenge me.

This is the type of community I want to have. A challenging, thoughtful, loving community that always seeks to help each other lead lives more in line with God's word. A community that isn't afraid to speak the truth in love. A community that is willing to listen to others with humility. A community that is open about their flaws and addictions and hardships and is confident in receiving honest, godly feedback and love from those around them.

I hope that someday God can use me to be a Moses in someone's life, and I hope that others feel the freedom to be a Moses in my life.

Love,
Amanda