I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians . . . Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt. Exodus 3:8-10
When I first attempted to find recovery, I went to outpatient treatment and attended AA meetings. I had some well-meaning Christians around me though who told me I didn’t need all that. All you need is Jesus. Later, when I relapsed, I used that sentiment as an excuse not to go to inpatient treatment. I don’t need anyone’s help. All I need is Jesus. Looking back now, I can laugh at myself, as I can see that I absolutely did need Jesus, but also that Jesus wanted me to meet some very nice people in treatment whom he intended to use in my life.
I often have a very specific idea of how God should work. When I pray for those I know who’re struggling with addiction, I pray and hope that God will strike them with spiritual lightening, causing them to suddenly see their need for faith, drop their drug, and find recovery. Then, when that doesn’t happen, and as I witness more destruction in their lives, I think – Someone should do something. As I’m once again praying for them, I begin to feel God tugging at me, telling me to go. Me God? I’m your plan? That’s a terrible plan.
I’ve got to think Moses felt the same way. In today’s passage, God showed up in a burning bush, speaking aloud to Moses – I have come down to deliver (my people) out of the hand of the Egyptians. Moses must have thought – Good. That’s a great idea. Get ‘r done. Then God dropped this little twist on Moses – Come, I will send you to Pharaoh. Wait. What? Me? Why are you getting me involved?
We often have those things that we think God should do. We may even pray, asking God to do them. Our idea of God doing a thing though, rarely involves us getting our hands dirty. We just want God to snap his divine fingers and make it so. God though, often wants to use us to bring about his will. Now you are the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). Whether we like it or not, we are God’s plan to do his will here on Earth.
Frankly, I’ve often thought this was a terrible plan – for God to rely on us to do his will. People are unreliable, lazy, disobedient, and honestly, we simply don’t want to get involved in the messy lives of others. Still though, we are God’s plan and as followers of Christ, it’s our job to daily abandon our will to follow his. So, when we see those around us in need, we can and should pray for them, but if we simply pray and walk away, we’re not following Christ. Like it or not, we are God’s plan.