Listening Guide
Strong desire to succeed + Enough past failure to create doubt = Performance Anxiety
False Assumption: “God will never give me more than I can handle.”
Truth: God often puts people in places that are beyond their abilities. Why?
Moses’ Objections:
- I’m not credible
- Root: Fear of other people vs. Fear of God
- God was inviting Moses to fear God more than he feared the people; he was inviting Moses and the people to fear God more than they feared Pharaoh.
- I’m not capable
- Root: Performance-based self-image (vs. Identity-based self-image)
- When you base your self-image on what you can do, you will always be limited by what you think you can do, and never experience what God can do.
- I’m not worthy
- Root: He was letting his past failures define him (vs. his future calling)
- God’s response was grace.
Every excuse we give for resisting God’s call is just another way of saying we don’t believe in him.
The root of our performance anxiety is not a lack of confidence; it is a misplaced confidence.
What we need is …
- Not greater confidence, but greater dependence.
- Not more ability, but more trust.
- Not more faith in ourselves, but more faith in God
Discussion Guide
- Which of Moses’ objections do you hear yourself give most often?
- What does it mean that all of our excuses for resisting God are really about disbelief?
- What are you having most difficultly believing God for right now?
- What is God asking you to do that is outside your comfort zone?