Sometimes, being stuck seems easier because becoming everything God created us to be is hard work. We don’t love to struggle, but good things happen when we struggle forward.
In Exodus 20:2, we meet a God who gave Moses and Aaron an assignment that they did not want nor did they feel qualified for.
“So now go, and I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”
To them, this seemed like an impossible assignment with the odds stacked against them. We see the heartbeat of God for his people, He is 100% not okay with his children suffering at the hands of others. Ever. God has been in the rescuing business for a really long time.
TO SUM UP THIS STORY QUICKLY:
Israel’s mistreatment by the Egyptians is the backstory and driving force for their redemption. Pharaoh did not allow them to follow Moses and denied them Religious freedom.
They were under DEEP oppression, and God heard the cry of his people and did something about it. He delivered them out of captivity, away from oppression, and EVEN fed them mana from heaven, meat to their dirty doorstep, and provided for them… but they were mad at their leaders.
2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?”
Moses is basically trying to lead a bunch of Karens to a better place…
HERE’S THE KICKER:
THEY WANTED TO RETURN TO CAPTIVITY AND OPPRESSION BECAUSE FREEDOM WAS TOO MUCH WORK.
They were willing to return to the very thing that broke them because captivity wasn’t just about where or who they worked for… it had become a lifestyle and mindset.
Sounds just like us, doesn’t it?
It’s important to understand that the bad things that have happened to us aren’t our fault, and it doesn’t have to be what defines us. The process of moving forward is where you will either find the best version of yourself… or stay the same.
Journaling is a big part of my life and always has been. I have found that having a visual and time set aside to reflect on what is holding me back is powerful because of this one thought: We can’t conquer what we refuse to confront.
Take a few minutes to reflect on your personal Egypt and what you need to break free from captivity in those areas. Seeing it on a map and deciding that you don’t want to live there anymore is the first step.
