STEP ASIDE? BUT GOD...........

“What do you mean; I don’t get to lead the people into the Promise Land? You do understand that I was the one who spent the sleepless nights, worrying when they wouldn’t obey. It was me, God that had to climb the mountain, TWICE, to get instructions on how they should behave. And I would like to remind you, that you wanted to destroy them; just wipe them right off the face of the earth, but I pleaded with you, God, to spare their lives. I even offered my own life in place of their sorry carcasses. I have traveled through the wilderness with them for 40 years, when we could have crossed over after about 39. I’ve listened to their whining and complaining, rejoiced over each new birth, helped them bury their loved ones and counseled them endlessly to solve their petty little problems and now you are telling me that Joshua gets to march triumphantly into the Promise Land? Why if it wasn’t for me, Joshua would have grown up a slave in Egypt. You really want me to step down, let go and let Joshua lead them to the next level?” Now the Bible doesn’t record that this conversation actually took place but what if you or I had been Moses? Would we have been so willing to let go of the ministry we had labored so diligently to build, just as God was ready to take it to the next level? Just when the Promise Land was in sight?


1 Corinthians 12:11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. We start out so humbly, just thankful for the privilege of being called; as time marches on the ministry begins to define us and we forget that it is God that calls and determines the times and seasons of our life. There are several examples, in the Bible, of great men who were called for a season, then stepped aside so that the next part of God’s plan could be fulfilled. Of course, Moses had to relinquish his leadership to Joshua, who God raised up to lead the Children of Israel to the prize. David had to transfer his dream of building a great temple to his son, Solomon because that was God’s plan. John the Baptist was born to be the forerunner of Jesus Christ. In his words, according to John 3:30, “He must increase but I must decrease.”

God was not impressed that Moses was a great leader; He had called him to lead. God was impressed with Moses’ humility. Numbers 12:3 records, “Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.” God was not impressed that David was the King of Israel; He had anointed him to be king. He wasn’t impressed by the many songs he wrote; God gave him the songs. God was impressed by David’s love and awe for Him and his willingness to recognize that God was creator, provider, his rock and Savior. Psalms 121:1 “I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? 2 My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.” Finally, God was not even impressed that Paul was an Apostle. It was God that struck him down then raised him up to become a great Apostle. He wasn’t impressed with Paul’s education, his missionary travels or the fact that he wrote most of the New Testament. God was impressed that Paul had kept the faith and finished the course. 2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Ministry does not make us important to God; we are important to God because He created us, washed us in His precious blood and filled us with His Spirit. God is not impressed with our titles or our accomplishments; only with our faithfulness to His will and His plan. There comes a time in each ministry when it is time to let go and let God begin the ‘next phase” with the next leader. It may be gut-wrenching to let go until you realize that God has a “next phase” for you also. When we realize that our identity is found in Jesus Christ and not the ministry He has called us to or the title that has been bestowed upon us, it becomes a blessing to reach forward, place the baton in our teammate’s hand and let go as they move forward.