Prison or Purpose?

This message takes us deep into the heart of a universal Christian struggle: when God's calling becomes a burden rather than a blessing. Through Moses's story in Exodus 4, we encounter a profound truth about human nature and divine purpose. Moses, freshly commissioned by God for the most significant mission imaginable, immediately pleads for someone else to do it. His fear, his sense of inadequacy, his tongue-tied excuses all mirror our own resistance to God's plans. Yet the message doesn't stop at the beginning of the journey. It traces how purpose can transform over time, from initial terror to pride in accomplishment, and eventually to weariness and frustration. The New Testament writers understood this cycle intimately. Paul's exhortation in 1 Corinthians 15:58 to work enthusiastically and immovably suggests the early church faced the same temptation we do: to view our God-given roles as prisons rather than purposes. Whether we're parents exhausted by sleepless nights, deacons contemplating resignation, caregivers worn thin, or simply followers of Christ wondering if anyone notices our faithfulness, we're reminded that God created us as masterpieces for specific good works. The challenge isn't to find more significant work, but to do our current work with greater significance, knowing that nothing we do for the Lord is ever useless.