Moses — Patience in Your Calling
Opening Reflection: The Long Road to Obedience
One of the most difficult realities for Christian leaders is learning to live faithfully in the space between calling and clarity. We often sense that God has placed something on our hearts, a responsibility, a direction, a burden, but the path forward is anything but immediate. Instead of open doors, we encounter detours. Instead of affirmation, we experience obscurity.
Few biblical leaders embody this tension more clearly than Moses.
Moses’s life reminds us that God is rarely in a hurry, even when His purposes are urgent. For leaders who carry responsibility in both secular and ministry spheres, Moses’ story speaks directly to the need for patience and the juxtaposition between passive waiting and active faithfulness in the season in which we find ourselves.
Biblical Narrative: A Calling Deferred
Moses’ story begins with urgency. Born under a death sentence (Exodus 1–2), rescued through divine providence, and raised in Pharaoh’s household, Moses appeared destined for immediate leadership. He had proximity to power, access to education, and awareness of his Hebrew identity.
At forty years old, Moses attempted to act on what he believed was his calling. Seeing an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, Moses intervened and killed the Egyptian (Exodus 2:11–12). Scripture later tells us that Moses believed his people would understand that God was using him to deliver them, but Acts 7:25 tells us the did not:
He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand.
Acts 7:25
Instead of deliverance, Moses found himself rejected by his own people and hunted by Pharaoh. He fled to Midian, where he spent the next forty years as a shepherd, far from the palace, far from influence, and far from the identity he may have imagined for himself.
Only at eighty years old did Moses encounter God in the burning bush (Exodus 3). Even then, Moses resisted the call, offering excuse after excuse:
“Who am I?”
“What if they don’t believe me?”
“I am slow of speech.”
God’s response was not to remove the calling, but to reaffirm His presence and to provide him a helper in Aaron to accomplish His purposes.
Leadership Principle: Patience Precedes Authority
Biblical leadership is not rushed; it is refined.
Moses’s early failure was not a lack of passion… it was a lack of faith and patience. He tried to accomplish God’s work using his own timing and strength. The result was isolation, discouragement, and delay.
Yet it was in Midian that Moses learned three key leadership principles:
Humility instead of entitlement – from the palace to the pasture
Dependence instead of confidence – from having everything to having nothing
Listening instead of acting
The palace prepared Moses intellectually. The desert prepared him spiritually.
For Christian leaders, these principles are essential. We often want our calling to validate our ambition, when God is more concerned with shaping our character.
Theological Insight: God Develops Leaders Before Deploying Them
Moses’s story reveals a God who values formation over speed.
God did not waste Moses’s years in Midian. Shepherding sheep prepared him to shepherd people. Solitude prepared him to hear God’s voice. Obscurity prepared him to lead without ego.
This challenges the modern leadership assumption that readiness is measured by credentials, platforms, or recognition. In Scripture, readiness is measured by obedience and trust in our Eternal God.
D. L. Moody in Men of the Bible (1898) explains how Moses repeatedly tried to make excuses before his calling, yet God persisted and provided a way. Moody warns us of the dangers of declining or excusing ourselves from God’s calling, saying;
“Don’t seek to be excused if God calls you to some service.”
Moody uses this line to contrast two responses to God’s calling:
Those who decline or defer it, like Moses
Those who embrace it, like Ruth
Turning away from God’s call on our lives means missing out on the honor and privilege of being used by God in whatever context we find ourselves in. Our obedience brings blessing rather than regret.
Moses tried to excuse himself. God instead promised His presence.
Practical Application for Christian Leaders
As leaders and believers, we must seek to apply the principles of the Bible uniformly and consistently lest we fall afoul of hypocrisy. The story of Moses can teach us the following lessons in leadership.
In the Secular Workplace
Faithfulness in unseen roles matters – leadership means picking up your team and picking up a mop
Patience builds credibility and trust – allow the Holy Spirit to empower you with the gift of patience when God’s response is wait and see
God often uses your “day job” to refine leadership skills – allow our day-to-day tasks to shape who we are as leaders
In Ministry or Faith Communities
Calling does not always equal immediate authority – credibility comes with time; take advantage of the time God’s given you to establish trust
Preparation seasons often feel like delays – God works all things together for our good (Romans 8:28)
Waiting is not disobedience when God has not released you – waiting is a gift God uses to mold and shape you
In Personal and Family Life
Delayed fulfillment tests faith and character – James 1:2-4 tells us to count our trails as joys, because our faith produces steadfastness which brings about completeness and joy
God’s timing protects relationships and integrity – God’s plan is perfect; let it have its full effect
Patience guards against burnout and resentment – again, James reminds us of the resoluteness resulting from our reliance
Personal Reflection: Lessons from My Own Journey
God has blessed me with many opportunities to lead. I have been a husband since 2007 and father to four amazing children. I have served His Church as a Worship Pastor for over 11 years. I have led project teams as a program manager, technical lead, and branch head. I have led a local chapter of one of the largest global systems engineering societies. Each of these opportunities have grown me in many ways professionally, personally, and spiritually.
However, not all these lessons are learned the easy way. As a research engineer, I have established a reputation as a technical innovator and thought leader, but that reputation didn’t come overnight. It’s taken 15+ years of industry experience to earn respect, but early in my career I thought I was ready for a leadership position before I was truly ready. I felt I’d earned it when I had not.
The company I was working for was going through some organizational changes, and there was a gap in middle management. The company wanted to look within before seeking help outside, so I raised my hand and said I’d take on the role. My mentor at the time cautioned me saying he didn’t believe I was ready, and in hindsight I have come to realize God was speaking through him to tell me to sit tight. Well, I took his warning as a rebuke and ran headlong into the opportunity despite my inexperience.
To say the road was rocky is an understatement. Personnel issues threatened to dismantle my part of the organization before it even hit the ground. Customer issues challenged us at every turn, and as the lead I was the target of their ire. Budget concerns seemed to crop up on a weekly basis challenging our team in ways I never thought possible. It was a real struggle and a major stressor on my family and my ministry outside of the office.
What God has shown me through that experience is that God's timing is perfect. Don’t question it. Don’t challenge it. Don’t take matters into your own hands, because, like Moses, the results could be catastrophic. He also showed me the importance of listening. Seek wise counsel and listen to it. God gave Moses Aaron to carry out His purposes with His people, and God used my mentor to speak to me in a fit of pride. Had I listened, I would have had more time to grow and learn the leadership skills I needed to navigate the difficult situation we found ourselves in.
