Question - What causes people to put off God’s call in their lives?
There are many reasons but probably the biggest one is fear and intimidation. There are many people that have a very low opinion of themselves. They lack confidence and motivation. Bullying, name calling and putting people down contribute to this problem. In schools today self-esteem seems to be taught and pushed extensively because of this problem.
Many times when these people become believers they bring their baggage with them, so to speak! They may have psychological and emotional problems which influence many of their actions. They can be very irritable, nauseating, difficult people, very had to understand and reach out to.
What do they need? They need discipleship, love and understanding regardless of their age, young or old. Many times these people come out of the alcohol, drug and gang lifestyles. This doesn’t always happen, but many times people get into these lifestyles looking for acceptance they can’t find anywhere else.
When you are in a gang usually it is one for all and all for one. They frequent the bars because you can always find someone to hang out with and talk to. Even if these kinds of relationships aren’t healthy they are better than no relationships at all. Many times these people seem much more outgoing and courageous when they have their ‘homeboys’ with them or they are full of drugs and alcohol. I know first hand about this because I lived this kind of life. Take all these factors away from them and they may become very timid and shy.
Like I said when they become believers they need discipleship, love, acceptance, not judgment, condemnation and rejection. There are other people that may have lived completely different lives and still have very low self esteem. They may never have been introduced to drugs, alcohol or the gang life, it may have been just the way they were raised. They may have experienced rejection and ridicule in the home. They may have grown up feeling misunderstood, unwanted. Some may have been physically or sexually abused, maybe their parents were drug addicts or alcoholics.
There are many reasons why people are fearful and feel intimidated as believers. Even if God calls them to a ministry they hesitate and come up with excuses not to do what God wants them to do. Some need assurance that it is God’s purpose for their life. But every one of them need love and acceptance from God’s people, without it they may give up completely. Not everyone is delivered completely of all their hang-ups when they become a believer. Some things take a little more time to overcome.
Let me give you a couple of examples from the Word of God. You may have never heard of Gideon but he was a man that God wanted to use to deliver the Israelites from their oppressors. They were being oppressed because of their rebellion against the Lord. The Midianites, Amalek and the people of the East would attack Israel, leaving the Israelites with nothing to eat, taking their animals and leaving the Israelites devastated. When these things happened the Israelites cried out to the Lord. If they would have cried out to the Lord before they got themselves in trouble they would have saved themselves a lot of grief.
How many of us do the same thing today?
Then the Lord sent a Prophet and he told them why they were in the situation they were in. That’s when Gideon comes on the scene, while he is in the bottom of the winepress threshing out the wheat, hiding the grain from the Midianites. An angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said, “Mighty hero the Lord is with you.” Then the Lord told Gideon in Judges 6:14-18, “Go with the strength you have and rescue Israel from the Midianites, I am sending you.” “But Lord”, Gideon replied, “How can I rescue Israel? My tribe is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh and I am the least in my entire family.” The Lord said to him, “I will be with you and you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.” Gideon replied, “if you are truly going to help me show me a sign to prove that it is really the Lord speaking to me.” (Have you ever been there, questioning the Lord? Think about it.) Then Gideon says, “don’t go away until I come back and bring my offering to you.” The Lord answered, “I will stay here until you return.” Then Gideon went and cooked a young goat and baked some bread and brought them back to the angel of the Lord. He put them on a rock and poured broth over them. Then the angel of the Lord touched them with his staff and fire flamed up from the rock and consumed them. Then the angel of the Lord disappeared.”
You would think that would be enough to convince Gideon but it wasn’t. Gideon was also called Jerubbaal, which means “let Baal defend himself.” Check it out in verses 25–32.
Gideon had over thirty thousand men and still he wanted more assurance. So God did two more miracles for him then he was ready to go. But then God told Gideon he had too many warriors with him. He could only take 300 men with him. He ended up winning the battle with the Lord’s help. Even though he was scared and intimidated, God still used him in a mighty way. God doesn’t always call the equipped but He always equips the called. There is much more to this story, check it out in Judges Chapters 6, 7, and 8, it should encourage you.
There is another story in the Bible about a man named Barak. The Israelites had sinned against the Lord on this occasion also. At the time there was a lady Judge named Deborah who was also a prophet. The Lord told her to tell Barak in Judges 4:5-9, “This is what the Lord the God of Israel commands you. Assemble 10,000 warriors from the tribe of Naphtali and Zubulum at Mount Tabor. I will lure Sisera, commander of Jabin’s army, along with his chariots and warriors to the Kishon River. There I will give you victory over them.”
Then what did Barak say? I will go, but only if you go with me. What was Barak’s problem? I think it was fear and intimidation.
Deborah said, “very well, I will go with you but since you have made this choice you will receive no honor. For the Lord’s victory over Sisera will be at the hands of a woman.” And that is exactly what happened. The lady’s name who killed Sisera was Jael, the wife of Heber, a Kenite. There was victory again because of God’s help. Check the story out in Judges Chapters 4 and 5, let it encourage your heart if you struggle with these problems and remember God will help you also like He help Barak and Gideon. So step out of your comfort zone and trust the Lord to help you. His purpose is to help you to accomplish whatever His calling is on your life and praise God He will.
Let me give you one more example. This man’s name was Moses, he was born into the Levite clan. At the time a new King, or Pharaoh, came to power after Joseph and his brothers had died, who knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done. The problem Pharaoh had was that Joseph’s descendants were having many children and grandchildren. This new Pharaoh was afraid of the Israelites because there were so many of them, so the Egyptians made them their slaves. This Pharaoh ordered the midwives that helped the Hebrew women with having their babies to kill all the male babies that were born. After that he gave orders to all the people to throw all the newborn Israelite boy babies into the Nile River (Abortion isn’t a new thing that just started today it happened in Moses’ day and it also happened in Jesus’ day and it was a horrible sin then and it is still a horrible sin today no matter what the reason). At that time Moses was born so his mother hid him for 3 years. The time came when she couldn’t hide him any longer so she put him in a basket in the Nile River. Pharaoh’s daughter found him and with the help of Moses’ mother she raised him.
When he grew up he saw an Egyptian man and a Hebrew slave fighting and he killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand. The next day two Hebrew men were fighting and Moses tried to break it up and it was discovered that he was seen killing the Egyptian man the day before and he became frightened and fled from Egypt. Moses may have thought it was all over for him but God had a plan for his life.
God would eventually ask him to go back to Egypt to confront Pharaoh. But he will not go without some protesting, or excuses. Number 1 was “the people won’t believe me.” Number 2 was “I’m just not a good speaker” and Number 3 Moses said to, “send someone else in” which made the Lord angry with Moses. Did God give up on Moses? No, he sent Aaron his brother with him and they were successful with the Lord’s help. What was Moses’ problem? I would say it was fear and intimidation. Did God still love Moses? Of course He did and today Moses is with the Lord, praise God!
Take it from me, I have struggled for many years doing what I thought God wanted me to do but He never gave up on me. And because I was willing to step out of my comfort zone, the Lord has used me many times over the years. Not too long ago I thought that I was like the “old horse that was put out to pasture,” but God wasn’t done with me. So try you’re very best to do the will of God in your life and you will not regret it. God loves you and He will never give up on you. He will never ask you to do anything you can’t do with His help. Praise the Lord and have a great day, God bless you.
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