I think that one of the major ways Satan attacks us Christians is through creating doubt or unbelief. At least that's how it's been for me. Let me explain. For the better part of my life I've constantly been fighting the nagging belief within that sounds something like this: "I'm not good enough to do that," or "There's no way God can use me to do that." For as long as I can remember, I have been plagued with these doubts about what I can do, be, and acheive. Well, as it turns out, I'm not alone. One of my favorite stories in the Old Testament involves a person that most of us have heard a great deal about. His name was Moses, and he too, suffered from this tendency to doubt.
In Exodus 3, following Moses' experience with the miraculous Burning Bush, we the reader discover God's plan to use Moses in a way that seems out of this world - at least to Moses. God tells Moses that he wants to lead his people out of their slavery in Egypt and into the promised land that he had promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob way back when. Then in chapter 4, the doubts begin: "They will not believe me or listen to my voice..." (vs. 1) Moses continues: "Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent...but am slow of speech and of tongue." (vs. 10) Even after God attempts to convince Moses that He (God) is the maker of man's mouth and the one who can make a person mute or deaf, seeing or blind, Moses isn't convinced. Moses' final plea reads: "Oh, my Lord, please send someone else." (13) And we know from the story that God does send someone else - Moses' brother Aaron is given the task of speaking for Moses even though Moses is still the primary leader. Nevertheless, this was not God's first intention. God would have given Moses the tools, the talents, and everything else that he would have needed to perform the tasks that he would be given. Yet, because of his lack of belief, Moses settles for second best and therefore, less than what God was willing to give him.
This leads me to the question, "Are we settling for less than God is willing to give us?" I know I have when I've spent so much time focusing on my own insecurities and lack of apparent gifts and talents. I say "apparent" because it doesn't take long to realize that we all have things we're good at. Still, if we take the focus off of ourselves (for just a little while) and place our focus on God and God alone, it is then that we begin to realize how God can use us regardless of where we have been or what we have done or haven't done. And I think it's the past - a focus on where I've been and what I've done - that haunts me to this day. I'm in good company though, because I think Moses felt the very same way.
