You Want Me to Lead WHAT?

2/21/2024

Written By: Paige Wassel

Several years ago, a friend invited me to check out Zumba classes being offered at our church. I agreed, figuring I liked to dance and could probably stand to add some physical exercise to my life. Soon, I was a Zumba regular, looking forward to the Latin-infused hour of fellowship, figuring out the dance routines, and laughing over my missteps.

When the instructor asked if I might consider taking over leading the classes, I was completely surprised and half waiting for the punch line. “You want me to lead what?” Growing up, I’d purposely steered clear of athletic pursuits, successfully avoiding playing any sports and most exercise. My strengths lay in less sweaty activities like reading, music, and crafts. I did not see myself as a fitness leader, and I did not know how anyone else could see me as qualified to serve in this way.

I cautiously agreed to be certified as an instructor, an experience that took me outside my comfort zone in many ways. Along with the physical training of learning dance fitness routines, I prepared devotions and prayers for each class. As I waited for women to arrive to each session, I prayed God would give me words that might encourage those attending and that I wouldn’t look too foolish leading. While I still had my missteps, these Zumba classes not only changed how I saw fitness but also gave me a new perspective on grace and humility.

It's been my experience God often calls us to serve in areas where we feel ill-equipped and unprepared, that don’t fit our narrative of how we see ourselves or play only to our strengths. In the Old Testament, Moses provides a great example of being called out of comfort to a mission bigger than himself. When he met God in the burning bush, he was a fugitive murderer on the run, an outcast from both the Israelites he was descended from and the Egyptians who raised him. Yet, God called him to lead his people out of slavery into a promised land.

In Exodus 3-4, Moses asks God, “Why me?” He questions what he is to say and worries that the people will not believe he has met with God. He protests that he has “never been eloquent” and is “slow of speech and tongue.” Finally, he responds in Exodus 4:13: “‘Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.’”

God meets Moses in his discomfort zone, sending his brother Aaron to serve as his mouthpiece and promising to give them the words to speak and to teach them what to do. God instructs Moses to remind the people of God’s past faithfulness so they will remember they can trust Him. The journey out of Egypt is not smooth, with Moses meeting resistance from his own people as well as the Egyptians. He is asked by God to break the bad news (10 times!) of plagues and trials that will descend upon Egypt because of Pharoah’s refusal to let Israel go. Despite his doubts and frustrations, Moses is obedient to God’s direction and plan, ultimately leading His people out of slavery.

Like Moses, I often have excuses that cause me to resist where God is calling me to go. I worry about putting my flaws on display and feel unequal to the task put on my heart. But I’ve come to realize that God uses the weaknesses in my life to make me rely on His strength. In realizing my inadequacies, I’m compelled to seek out others whose gifts can make up for what I lack, partnering with them to accomplish what God has set before us. Perfect people are rarely as compelling as overcomers. Our shared testimony of how God has blessed and equipped us despite our shortcomings point to His power and perfect grace.