Lessons From the Wilderness

Remember the story of Moses' call to lead, despite all his protests? In Exodus 4, when Moses asks how the people will know that he has been chosen by God to lead them out of slavery and into the Promised Land, the Creator responds by commanding Moses to throw his staff on the ground.

Steve Quinn, an executive pastor and leadership consultant, writes, "For a shepherd, the staff represents identy as a shepherd, security (the staff was used to fend off predators), and position since the staff was also used to guide the sheep. In essence, God was telling Moses to let go of his own identity, to throw off his sense of self-security, and to drop any preconceived notion of where the sheep should go. Leadership, in this story, required Moses to set off in an unknown journey while trusting his Creator to be his guide, his security, and his identity."

Have you been placed in a position of leadership? Do you feel incapable of the responsibility? If so, Quinn's article might encourage you.