“If we’re honest, most of us would admit that what determines ‘my way’ is what other people think. . . . The rise of social media has given way to an epidemic rise in anxiety. Why? It causes us to obsess about our lives, our image, and the way other perceive us.”- Kyle Idleman
“O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied and my words get tangled.”- Exodus 4:19 (NLT)
As Kyle Idleman moves on in Chapter 6 of When Your Way Isn’t Working, he explores four reaons for Moses’ anxiety. Kyle covers the first three today.
1. Moses already tried and failed. Because Moses fled from Egypt after committing murder, he lived in obscurity on the far side of the wilderness. So, Moses apparently resigned himself to working for his father-in-law for the rest of his life.
2. Moses worried about what people would think. Exodus 4 begins with a “what if” question Moses asks God. In verse one, he asks, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The lord did not appear to you?’ ”
Thus, the author adds, anxiety makes us self-focused.
3. Moses doesn’t have what it takes. Exodus 4:10 reports the anxiety Moses felt as he imagined standing before Pharaoh. However, Pastor Idleman quips, Moses seems to think none of his honest self-appraisal could possibly have occurred to God. Instead, Moses believes he’s letting God in on some “new information.”
Above all, Kyle states, notice how God chooses to address Moses’ anxiety. God doesn’t try to convince Moses that he has what it takes. Rather, God reminds Moses of his connection with the One who gave him a tongue.
Finally, Pastor Idleman encourages us to feel empathy for Moses. We often feel anxious when we sense God’s prodding to speak on His behalf.
Today’s question: Do you find social media has created an epidemic rise in anxiety? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Closer connection – an invitation”