I admire people who overcome great obstacles to become people of character and resilience. I marvel at the fortitude they show in pushing through even when there is opposition of some sort. Dave and I recently watched “Harriet,” a movie about Harriet Tubman. Her commitment to helping slaves find freedom despite peril to her own life captured my attention and filled me with awe. The writers did an unexpectedly good job of preserving Harriet’s commitment to keeping her eyes on the unseen in order to persevere in the task.

Harriet became known as “Moses” as she led people out of slavery into freedom. The biblical Moses is another great leader who overcame insurmountable odds to accomplish great things. Undoubtedly, Moses’ greatest obstacle was internal chatter that kept him from believing he could do anything at all. I resonate with that endless internal chatter.

Moses certainly accomplished great things, but the outstanding aspect of his life to me is overcoming his weaknessess. He didn’t think he could talk well, he was afraid people wouldn’t follow him, he didn’t want to be rejected, he just didn’t want to go to Egypt and lead the people. He felt hobbled by his past. You can read all about Moses birth and early history in the first four chapters of Exodus.

It is my belief that Moses knew in his heart he was chosen to deliver the Israelites from slavery. When he came upon the Israelite and Egyptian fighting, he attempted to fix it his own way – kill the Egyptian and bury him in the sand. (Exodus 2:11-12) His method was one of force. Maybe he thought he would lead a bloody revolution against Egypt. That wasn’t God’s way. Moses spent time in the desert learning another way.

I want to explore some of what I admire about Moses and the choices he made this week. I believe following the example of those who succeeded in overcoming obstacles is an excellent life choice. Perhaps you admire a different historical person such as Abraham Lincoln (he is my favorite president) or a present day hero such as Sully Sullenberger (also an inspiration to me). Whoever that might be, ask yourself what that person has accomplished and why it inspires you. Then take a hard look at his/her life choices and decide which of those you need to emulate.

The first quality of Moses that I want to emulate can be found in Hebrews 11:27. This chapter of the Bible is often called the faith chapter and it lists the who’s who of faithful men and women of God. They are the All Stars, the Hall of Famers, the Gold Medal winners. Moses is listed here and this is what it says about him:

It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. 

Hebrews 11:27

I want to be the kind of person who isn’t sidelined by fearsome, angry events – or scary kings. I want to keep right on going because I have confidence in the Invisible One! My natural eyesight might not be so great, but I want my spiritual eyes to be better than 20/20!

How will I develop 20/20 spiritual vision so my eyes stay fixed on the one who is invisible and I don’t get sidetracked by what I see with my natural eyes? Tune in tomorrow for more on that…

What do you want to see developed in your life? Who inspires you to be better?