On the Other Side of Your Yes | Why Your Obedience Matters

Verse of the Day

"But Moses said to God, 'Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?' And God said, 'I will be with you.'" -Exodus 3:11–12

Last week, I told you that I almost didn't send the Wednesday Word. I was busy, unprepared, and it wasn't going to be as polished as I wanted it to be. The perfectionist in me decided it would be easier to skip the week altogether, but God kept putting one thought on my heart: What if one person needs it?

So I pressed send. At the time, I thought the lesson was simply that sometimes obedience looks like showing up anyway. But I've continued thinking about it this week, and I think God is teaching me something deeper: Our obedience is rarely just about us.

I think we naturally look at obedience through the lens of what it will require from us. Am I ready? What if I fail? What will people think? What if I don't know enough? What if I'm not good enough?

And sometimes the question goes even deeper: Can God really still use me?

After my mistakes? After the things I've done? After the opportunities I've wasted? After all of my shortcomings, how could I possibly still be worthy of being used by God?

If you've ever asked those questions, you're in pretty good company. When God called Moses to go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses didn't respond with confidence. His response was, "Who am I?"

And when you look at his story, you can understand some of that doubt. Moses had killed an Egyptian and fled Egypt. He had spent years away in Midian, and now God was telling him to return to the very place he had run from and lead His people out of slavery. Moses saw all the reasons he wasn't qualified. But God's response wasn't a pep talk about how talented or capable Moses actually was.

He simply said: "I will be with you."

I love that so much. Moses asks, "Who am I?" and God points him back to who is going with him. Even then, Moses continues questioning himself. He worries that people won't believe him. Moses tells God he isn't a good speaker, that no one will listen. Eventually, he asks God to just send someone else. BUT...God still chooses to work through him.

The lesson is this:
You don't have to be extraordinary to be used by an extraordinary God.

Maybe you know God has been putting something on your heart, but self-doubt keeps talking you out of it. Or maybe it isn't your ability you're questioning at all. Maybe it's your past.

Maybe you've made mistakes you're ashamed of. You've wandered. You've failed God in ways you never thought you would. Maybe you've convinced yourself that God could have used the person you were before, but surely you've messed up too much now.

Is anyone else relating to this at all? Just me?

I think we need to remember that when shame starts convincing us that God would be better off using someone with a cleaner story, stronger faith, more knowledge, fewer struggles, or a better track record...God already knows who He's calling.

He knows your past. He knows your weaknesses. He knows what you're still working through. He knows every part of your story, including the parts you'd rather rewrite.
And none of it caught Him by surprise.

That's the beauty of the Gospel. Our worth was never something we could earn by behaving well enough or getting everything right. Jesus came because we couldn't. Through Him, we receive a grace we could never earn for ourselves.

So maybe the question isn't, "How could I possibly be worthy enough for God to use me?" Maybe the better question is, "Am I willing to say yes?"

Because here's the part I've been thinking about since I pressed send last Wednesday: There may be someone on the other side of your yes.

Maybe someone hears about Jesus because you finally speak up. Maybe someone is encouraged because you send the text God keeps putting on your heart. Maybe your children learn what genuine faith looks like because they watch you choose obedience when it's inconvenient. Maybe someone walks into church because you invite them. Maybe your testimony helps someone believe that God's grace could reach them too. And you may never know.

We tend to imagine obedience as these huge, life-changing moments where God gives us some enormous assignment. But I think a lot of obedience happens in the ordinary.

Send the text. Make the phone call. Invite that person to church. Apologize first. Give when God tells you to give. Pray with someone even if it feels awkward. Share your testimony. Start the thing. Speak about Jesus. Show up when it would be easier not to.

Sometimes it's simply pressing send on the Wednesday Word you almost convinced yourself no one would notice was missing.

We don't know what God will do with those small acts of obedience, and that's okay. We're not responsible for controlling the outcome. We're responsible for being faithful with what God puts in front of us.

We aren't the Savior. Jesus is. We don't change hearts. God does. And God certainly doesn't need us in order to accomplish His purposes.

But how incredible is it that He chooses to invite us into His work?
We get to participate. Thank you, Jesus!

So maybe you've been waiting to feel ready. Maybe you've been waiting until you know more, feel more confident, clean up your life, overcome your weaknesses, or somehow finally feel worthy enough to say yes.

Go back to Moses.

"Who am I?"

"I will be with you."

Obedience isn't trusting yourself enough to take the step. It's trusting God enough to take it anyway. Your yes may feel incredibly small in your hands. You may never see every person it reaches, every seed it plants, or every way God chooses to use it.

You don't need to.
You have no idea what God can do with a surrendered yes.

Reflection

• What has God been putting on your heart that fear, perfectionism, self-doubt, or shame over your past has been talking you out of?
• Maybe you've been asking, "Am I ready? Am I qualified? Am I worthy?"
• What would change if, instead, you simply asked, "Do I trust God enough to say yes?"

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for choosing to work through ordinary, imperfect people like me. Forgive me for the times fear, self-doubt, perfectionism, or shame have kept me from being obedient to You. When I feel unqualified, remind me that You are with me. When my past tells me I'm unusable, remind me of Your grace. Give me the courage to be faithful with whatever You place in front of me and trust You with whatever comes next. Use my words, my gifts, my testimony, and even the parts of my story I wish I could rewrite for Your glory. I don't need to know what you'll do with my yes. I just want to be willing to give it. In Jesus' name, amen.