When You Ask “Who am I?”

Not long ago, I was riding down a road that I travel frequently. As I came around a familiar curve, I started seeing road work signs and pretty quickly came to a guy holding a stop sign. I slowed to a roll and brought the car to a halt in front of him. It didn’t take long for a line to form behind me. As it turned out, they were paving the road, and I was honestly very unsure of what to do because the gentleman holding the sign was giving no direction. After what seemed like forever, I was still sitting there and started fretting a bit, wondering if I should have gone around him by now? Were the people behind me going to start honking? But after a couple more minutes, I saw what we had been waiting for. A Pilot Car showed up…with a huge sign that said, “Follow Me”…and I won’t lie, I felt a huge sense of relief.

Silly, right? But y’all, I think there are so many times in life that we find ourselves at a stopping point, many times with others who are waiting to follow our lead, whether it be our children, co-workers, or even strangers on a road…and WE DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO.

We wonder why in the world God has us at the front of the line, in a place of leadership, when we feel so ill-equipped. But as I read about Moses this week, it put so many things in perspective, and I hope it will be a blessing to you too.

In Exodus 3, Moses is tending his flock when he sees a burning bush. He walks towards it to take a closer look, and God calls out to him, “Moses! Moses!” The Lord proceeds to tell him that he has heard the cries and seen the oppression of His people, and He has come down to rescue them. I’m sure Moses felt awe and relief, but then, everything changed. The Lord told Moses, “Now go, for I am sending YOU to Pharoah. YOU must lead my people out of Egypt.”

I can’t imagine how Moses must have felt when He heard those words. Fear, confusion, and stubbornness bubbled to the surface as Moses protested, “Who am I to appear before Pharoah? Who am I to lead the people out of Egypt?”

And y’all, I’d be lying if I said I’ve never thought the same thing. I would be willing to guess that we all have at some point. The Lord may not have called us to something as huge as leading His people out of Egypt, but even in our day to day, raising kids, loving our spouse, working at whatever profession the Lord has placed us in…it runs through our minds…”Who am I? Why me Lord? I’m not equipped for this…” and the excuses roll off our tongues.

In those moments, I want affirmation. I want to be lifted up and praised and told why I am good enough for this role…I want to hear my strengths to give me a confidence boost. But y’all, that’s not what the Lord did for Moses. Because that’s not what mattered.

When Moses cried out, “Who am I?,” the Lord responded, “I will be with you.”

That’s it. He doesn’t tell him how handsome and strong and worthy He is. He doesn’t affirm him in any way. He reminds Him Who is with Him. That’s all he needs to know. And that’s all we need to know, y’all.

Whatever the Lord is calling you to today, whatever line you seem to be at the front of, whatever role you’ve been place in to lead others…no matter how insignificant…don’t ask “Who am I?” Just look at Who is with you.

Let your heart overflow with gratitude for the “pilot” you have leading you. And keep your eyes on the signs that say, “Follow Me.” He is with you.