Moses, by any standard, was a great man — he was instrumental in liberating an entire nation from slavery. Yet his path toward this success was cluttered with obstacles, the most prominent being the huge wealth at his fingertips by virtue of being an adopted son of the leader of richest nation in the world.
Moses’ Amazing Choice
Moses, who grew up in Pharaoh’s palace, did the unthinkable: he spurned that inheritance so he could share in the oppression of God’s people. (Hebrews 11:25). None of what we know as history — the miraculous plagues, the crossing of the Red Sea and even the 40 years in the wilderness before arriving at the promised land – would have happened has Moses not given up his destiny of Egyptian royalty.
I marvel at this choice. Moses gave up a sure thing so he could pursue an impossible dream. As stated in Hebrews 11:26, “He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward.” When we read the story of Moses today, we often fail to consider his struggles with this decision because we know “the end of the story.” However, all he knew at the time of that decision was that if he turned his back on the treasures of Egypt, he would face certain suffering, misunderstanding and oppression. Yes, Moses was able to give up those treasures because he was looking ahead to his great reward, but I wonder how clearly he could see that great reward. At any rate, I admire his spunk.
Should we give up our wealth?
I am not implying that everyone who is born in to great wealth (on a world standard, most Americans are) should give it up. However, I am saying that if our wealth is a barrier to the greatness God has called us to, we need to learn from Moses. Ask yourself:
- Did I choose my career because it is lucrative or because it is where God wants me?
- Do I budget my money based on my wants or God’s plans?
- Do I give sacrificially or simply what I think I can afford?
- Do I get so involved in good causes that I don’t have time for God himself?
- Do I plan my life based on what God wants or what my finances allow?
I realize these are tough questions, and please don’t infer that I think I have my act together. I don’t, but I am deeply challenged by Moses’ amazing choice. When I look at his greatness, and consider how easy it would have been for Moses to have lived out a life of ease and plenty, I realize that I don’t want to live the rest of my life wondering what could have been if I had only let God have His way.
Readers: are you inspired by Moses’ amazing choice? In what ways is his choice relevant to your life?
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