LEAVE US ALONE!

After 430 years of slavery, through a series of extraordinary miracles, God uses an unlikely leader who stumbles and stutters to lead Israel out of Egypt…

Pharaoh, like all bullies, is relentless… He won’t give up without a fight. So he pursues Israel and pens them down near the Red Sea.

Israel is terrified when they look up and see Pharaoh’s army coming after them in full body armor ready for a fight… They panic!

Exodus 14:10-12 (MSG), As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw them - Egyptians! Coming at them! 11 They told Moses, "Weren't the cemeteries large enough in Egypt so that you had to take us out here in the wilderness to die? What have you done to us, taking us out of Egypt? 12 Back in Egypt didn't we tell you this would happen? Didn't we tell you, 'Leave us alone here in Egypt - we're better off as slaves in Egypt than as corpses in the wilderness.'"

This is usually what leadership looks like… One man or woman pointing to the future – leading towards an idea of what could be and what should be… Standing alone in the face of overwhelming odds with resilient faith.

Leadership always attracts critics, cynics, scoffers and doubters who for some reason prefer to the “known” reality of the past – even though the past may represent bondage… Bondage to archaic ideas that no longer work… Bondage to systems and structures that stifle freedom and creativity, that may put food on the table, but can’t put any fire in your soul or make a difference on the planet… For some reason the majority usually prefer the “known” reality of the past, the status quo, over all of the “unknown” aspects of the future… And since they don’t have a plan as to how to get out of the mess we’re in, they’re left to criticize, condemn and second guess the guy or gal who does have a plan...

But in the face of doubt, sometimes even extreme battles with self-doubt; in the face of unbelief, criticism, cynicism and pessimism, the leader is dauntless. He sees what the crowd and the critics can’t see…. He believes in ideas and dreams that they’ve never considered… So he leads, regardless…

Exodus 14:13-14 (MSG), Moses spoke to the people: "Don't be afraid. Stand firm and watch God do his work of salvation for you today. Take a good look at the Egyptians today for you're never going to see them again. 14 God will fight the battle for you. And you? You keep your mouths shut!"

Somehow the leader finds the ability to stand with quite confidence and say, “Stand still! Open your eyes! Shuts your mouths! Now, move forward!”

And because the leader chose to stand in the face of criticism, to lead in spite of adversity, to ignore the whining of people saying, “Leave us alone… It would be better just to get by, than to blow it larger than life and have to live with the aftertaste of failure…”

The leader knows that that kind of life really isn’t a life… And because the leader chooses to lead, people experience the miraculous, achieve the incredible and do the impossible…

LEADERS, please DON’T “leave us alone!” Lead on! Despite all the crap the critics and cynics will throw at you! LEAD ON! We need you!

“Oh God, please make me that kind of leader!”