Most of us don’t ignore God because we’re rebellious. We hesitate because we don’t feel ready. Not capable. Not qualified. Not enough.

And somewhere along the way, a quiet question starts to form: “Why me?”

The following reflection comes from a sermon delivered by Chris Durso at FOPx — where he unpacked how this question has been echoing in the hearts of believers long before us.

Because this isn’t a new question. Moses asked it too — right in the middle of a miracle.

“Moses was shepherding the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, a priest of Midian. He led the flock to the west end of the wilderness and came to the mountain of God, Horeb. The angel of God appeared to him in flames of fire blazing out of the middle of a bush. He looked — the bush was blazing away but it didn’t burn up.” (Exodus 3:1-12, The Message)

Moses said, “What’s going on here? I can’t believe this! Why doesn’t the bush burn up?” God saw that he had stopped to look. God called to him from out of the bush, “Moses! Moses!” He said, “Yes? I’m right here!”

God said, “Don’t come any closer. Remove your sandals from your feet. You’re standing on holy ground.” Then he said, “I am the God of your father: the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face, afraid to look at God.

God said, “I’ve taken a good long look at the affliction of my people in Egypt. I’ve heard their cries for deliverance from their slave masters. I know all about their pain. And now I have come down to help them, to pry them loose from the grip of Egypt, get them out of that country and bring them to a good land with wide open spaces — a land lush with milk and honey.

“The Israelite cry for help has come to Me, and I’ve seen for myself how cruelly they’re being treated by the Egyptians. It’s time for you to go back. I’m sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the people of Israel, out of Egypt.”

And then Moses, after hearing all of that, responds by saying: “But… why me?”

In the middle of a miracle

He’s in the middle of a miracle. There is a bush that is on fire, and it’s speaking to him.

Now, let me point out that it wasn’t all that surprising to see a bush on fire in those days — the desert was so hot that bushes would catch fire.

What made this moment so extraordinary to Moses was that the bush was on fire and it didn’t burn up. As Moses was walking past, he noticed it was burning. He expected it to go up in flames and be gone — but it didn’t. So Moses stopped, and he looked, and he waited.

But when we are full of insecurity and doubt, we can be in the middle of a miracle and miss it entirely, because we are so consumed with what has been spoken over us — or what we’ve spoken over ourselves — that we miss what God is saying.

Never for a second was he looking at that bush expecting God to speak. But in his own ignorance and surprise, he paused at something that didn’t normally happen — and that was enough for God.

God used that opportunity because He had the attention of Moses. Not because Moses was especially smart. Not because he was some great theologian. Not because he was a revivalist seeking the presence of God. He was simply taking care of his father-in-law’s sheep on the back side of a mountain. He stopped — and that was enough.

God speaks to him, calls him by name, and explains the state of the people He loves: “They are in bondage. They are in slavery. They are bound. I love them. I’ve heard their pain. They’ve been crying out to Me — and I want you to know, I have heard the cries of my people.”

And yet Moses, full of insecurity, misses what is actually happening. Instead of being in complete awe that there is a burning bush that is not burning up — one that happens to be speaking to him — he barely reacts.

I would challenge any of you to be in the presence of God, to feel and sense His Spirit, and then just carry on as business as usual, as if that’s completely normal.

I never want to lose my awe for the presence of God. Whether I’m in a room of thousands or completely alone — if the Creator of the universe finds time to spend with me, I don’t ever want to take that lightly.

But when we are full of insecurity and doubt, we can be in the middle of a miracle and miss it entirely, because we are so consumed with what has been spoken over us — or what we’ve spoken over ourselves — that we miss what God is saying. 

“Why me?”: The most dangerous question

I don’t believe the only reason people don’t follow the voice of God is simply disobedience. I believe that for most of us, it’s because we count ourselves out. We don’t consider ourselves strong enough, smart enough, or wise enough.

I know that feeling. Growing up in church, dealing with what I thought was a learning disability, not doing well in school — when I received the call to preach the Gospel, I thought to myself, just like Moses: “But why me?”

Think about the five W’s. We ask “who” to learn about a person of interest. We ask “what” to understand the subject matter. We ask “when” and “where” to learn time and place.

But of all the five questions, “why” is the most intriguing. Why gives us intent. Why gives us reasoning. The moment you start answering your why, you start revealing who you are and what you are about.

But in this moment, when Moses asks God “why me?”, he is absolutely missing what is actually happening. God then clarifies it further: “Because there are people I love, and they are in bondage. And I want you to know — I am with you, and who I AM is enough.”

This is the very famous moment where God says: just go and tell them I AM sent you.

To ask “why me?” is to suggest that you have something else to offer besides your obedience.

You know the famous breakup line — “It’s not you, it’s me”? Today, when you’re asking God why He would want to use you, why He would want to send you, what the Holy Spirit is saying back to you is: “Son, daughter — it’s not you, it’s Me.

“My Spirit is falling upon you. My Spirit is filling you. But let’s be very clear — it has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with Me. It’s not about your skillset, your abilities, your smarts, your capabilities or even your desires.

“It is simply about the divine invitation of the Holy Spirit to step into assignment and do everything He has called us to do.

“What did He call us to do? Go into all the world and make disciples. Raise the dead. Cast out demons. Preach the Good News. Love the widow. Help the marginalised. Help the less fortunate.

“But, son and daughter — please understand — what I am looking for is your yes. What I am looking for is your submission to Me.”

What it means to be a disciple

Before you can go into all the world and make disciples, you have to first understand what it looks like to be one. By its very definition, a disciple is a student. Teacher, student. Teacher, student. You’re learning — and then, because you’re Kingdom-minded, you turn around and give it away. You learn, and then you teach. You receive, and then you give. You receive knowledge and pass it on. You receive blessing and pass it on. You read the Word and hear what the Holy Spirit says — then impart it in someone else.

Many of us settle for simply coming to church, attending a conference, being in an environment like this one — and then going on with our lives, as if the point of church is just to come and feel something good, to be encouraged. But you weren’t just called to come and be blessed. You were called to receive blessing and then become a blessing.

You don’t get to be saved and not assigned.

Many of us resist that, because we don’t want to see our jobs, our schools, or our everyday roles as ministry. But the truth is — whether you ever preach a sermon or become a doctor or a lawyer — all of it is ministering unto God. When He says, “Go into all the world,” understand that you are not doing it to make money or pass the time. You are doing it because you are a disciple of Jesus Christ. And what do disciples do? Disciples go out and they share. Disciples understand there is an assignment on their life.

Regardless of who you are — and even though we are meeting for the first time — my friend, my brother, my sister: you are a son or daughter of God, and there is an assignment on your life. You don’t get to be saved and not assigned.

Jesus said, “Pick up your cross and follow me.”

Why did Jesus ask us to pick up the cross? Because the cross He died on was our salvation — but if you look closely at it, you will also see that what was our salvation was His assignment. That gives us a picture of what carrying out assignment looks like. It’s not celebrated in the moment. It’s costly. It’s going to cost you something. But He says: if you want to be my disciple, just pick up your cross and follow me.

Your cross is not a hobby. Your cross is not something you get around to when you feel like it. Your cross is simply whatever God has predestined for you — and the only decision you get to make is whether you’re going to carry it or not. You cannot refuse to carry a cross and still consider yourself a disciple. It takes being a disciple in order to go out into the world and make disciples.

The grace to do: Charis

My prayer is that today, all the insecurity that is overwhelming you — all the doubts that have filled your mind — would be addressed. Maybe you come from a difficult background. Maybe you don’t feel like you’re the sharpest person. Maybe you battle with a learning disability, or anxiety or a host of other emotions. Understand that regardless of any of those things, you are still chosen. And the best response when God gives you a word is not “why” — it’s simply “yes.”

Moses is looking at God as if God got the wrong person. Imagine — God knew when Moses would be alone, showed up in a burning bush, and called him by name. Not “Hey, you.” By name.

Today, God is calling you by your name. He’s not putting out a general announcement for whoever in the room wants to respond. He’s saying: son, daughter — I am calling you personally.

Free people free people. You don’t just sit in your own freedom while others remain bound. The same way He said “Moses, Moses” is the same way He is calling you right now. Because God wants you. He made a way so that you could step into assignment. Your salvation isn’t just about your access to heaven for all eternity — it is also about obedience on this earth.

He wants you — but He wants you His way. He says: take off your sandals. Step into My presence. Not holding on to anything else. Authentically, as who you are. You do not have to perform for God.

Many of us come from families with overwhelming expectations — to be the smartest person in the room, the sharpest. Or we impose those expectations on ourselves, constantly telling ourselves we’re not good enough, not smart enough. Culture tells us to keep adding, keep performing.

But in the presence of God, He says: I don’t want you to put anything on. I want you to take off. Take off your performance. Take off your expectations. Just be in My presence — because who I AM when I get around you is more than enough.

your circumstances do not have as much authority over you as you think. It only has the authority you allow it.

Here is a contrast I want you to notice. Moses is a free man, front row, battling insecurity. Paul, writing Philippians 1:6 from a prison cell, is full of confidence. Which tells me: your circumstances do not have as much authority over you as you think. It only has the authority you allow it. You could be in prison and full of the Holy Spirit, fully confident God could use you. Or you could be completely free, comfortable, blessed — but if your mind is not renewed, you’ll still be bound. As a man thinks, so he is.

The Bible says my righteousness is as filthy rags — meaning even my best is not good enough on its own. I don’t have anything in myself that permits God to use me. But this is why I love Philippians 1:6. Paul uses the word grace — and in the original language, that word is charis. Charis is not simply the grace that saves us. It is the grace to do. It’s an action word. So when you say, “God, I can’t” — He says, “I know. But because my charis is on you, you will have the ability to do everything I am calling you to do.”

God is not looking for your success. He is simply looking for your surrender.

“I want what I paid for”

The Holy Spirit is speaking — not to unbelievers, but to the saved. He’s saying, just as He was saying to Moses: there are people out there who are not saved. There are people out there who are not free. People who are broken, lost, addicted, insecure, suffering, hurting — trying to cope their way out of their situation. But they don’t need another bottle, another drug, more food, or another dollar.

What they need is the power of the Holy Spirit and the love of Jesus. So I want you to go out and reach them. Go love them.

AB

A little over a year ago, I was on a plane — not a large one, a fairly quick flight. As I was sitting in my seat, I observed a woman in first class. She had an emotional support dog with her, quietly sitting under her seat. A flight attendant came over and said, “I’m so sorry, ma’am, but you can’t sit here.” The woman pulled out her phone, showed her ticket, and said, “This is my seat.” The attendant apologised and explained that passengers with emotional support animals aren’t permitted in the bulkhead row — she would need to move.

The woman said she didn’t want to move. The attendant said, “Maybe someone in first class wants to switch with you.” She said she didn’t want to switch. “We have plenty of seats in coach.” She said she didn’t want to go to coach. “I’ll give you a full refund and you can still take the flight.” The woman looked at the attendant and said: “I don’t want a refund. I want what I paid for.”

I hear the Holy Spirit saying to each and every one of us, here in the comfort of these seats: I am glad that you are here. But I am not satisfied. There are people out there that I died for. There are people out there that I love. And here is the truth — I want what I paid for.

They were bought at a high price, and I am not comfortable leaving them as they are. So here’s what I need from you — get over yourself, so that you can get filled with Me. And as you get filled with Me, you operate in the assignment I have given you. Whether you’re a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, an evangelist, or a parent — your assignment is to showcase the love of Jesus to everyone you meet. Because I am not satisfied leaving them where they are.

He says: I will fill you — with My church, with My grace, with My anointing. All you have to do is submit and surrender. But before you can submit and surrender, you have to admit — just like Moses, you can be in the middle of the presence of God and still feel conflicted. You can know you’re called, you can know the Holy Spirit is speaking, and still feel like you’re not enough.

The call to surrender

My sons and daughters, you are enough — not because you are good enough, but because He is. His grace falls on you regardless of who you are, regardless of the mistakes you’ve made, regardless of the inabilities you are acutely aware of in yourself. You become more than enough — not because of what you bring, but because of who He is.

What I want to do in this moment is invite you into a moment of transparency and authenticity. If you find yourself feeling like you are not enough — come and surrender. Not because there’s anything impressive about you, but because He loves all the people who are still bound, and here you are with all this freedom.

Free people free people. Stop asking why. Start saying yes.