Lead with Courage Like Moses
Today, I want to you to step into leadership like Moses — with clarity, courage, and conviction — even when you feel ordinary.
Why does this matter? Because every entrepreneur, veteran, and leader eventually faces a “Red Sea moment” — a place where people are depending on you to chart the way forward. Learning to lead with God’s presence, not just your own strength, will give you peace under pressure, direction in uncertainty, and the ability to inspire others toward freedom and growth.
Unfortunately… many leaders never step into their true assignment. They get stuck in fear, doubt, and distraction. They settle for surviving instead of leading boldly.
Fear of Inadequacy Is the Primary Reason Why
Moses himself tried to disqualify himself when God called him:
“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” (Exodus 3:11)
“I have never been eloquent.” (Exodus 4:10)
“Please send someone else.” (Exodus 4:13)
Sound familiar? Leaders today echo the same insecurities: “I don’t have enough experience. I don’t speak well. I’m not ready.” When God says you are enough.
But God’s response to Moses is His response to us: “I will be with you.” (Exodus 3:12)
Other reasons leaders fail to step into their call include:
Fear of rejection or failure – Worrying more about how people will respond than about obeying God.
Over-reliance on past identity – Moses saw himself as a shepherd, not a deliverer; we often cling to old roles instead of stepping into new ones.
Misunderstanding of assignment – Leaders confuse busyness with obedience, chasing opportunities instead of clarity.
Pressure to conform – Fear of standing out keeps many from leading differently.
There’s the good news: you can overcome all of these obstacles and lead with courage like Moses.
Here’s how, step by step:
Step 1: Confront Your Excuses
Every leader has excuses. Moses had plenty. But God dismantled each one with a promise of His presence and power.
Why this matters: Excuses create delay, and delay robs destiny.
Practical Action: Jot down your top 3 excuses for why you “can’t” lead in the way God is nudging you. Then, replace each excuse with a Scriptural promise.
Examples:
“I’m not gifted enough.” → “God equips the called” (Hebrews 13:21).
“I don’t have resources.” → “My God shall supply all your needs” (Philippians 4:19).
“I’m too broken.” → “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
When you stop rehearsing excuses and start declaring promises, your mindset shifts from fear to faith.
Step 2: Clarify Your Assignment
Moses wasn’t called to solve every problem in Egypt. He was sent to deliver a specific people from a specific bondage. Nothing more.
Where leaders go wrong: They try to fix everything and everyone. That’s a recipe for burnout.
Practical Action: Define your “Egypt.” What bondage are you called to break in others’ lives?
Ask yourself:
Who specifically am I called to serve?
What freedom am I called to lead them into?
What message burns so deeply in me that I can’t stay silent?
Then, write your Leadership Clarity Statement in one sentence. Example:
“I mentor entrepreneurs to build businesses that serve people, not just profits.”
“I lead veterans to discover purpose beyond service.”
This statement becomes your compass. When the noise of opportunities, opinions, and obstacles gets loud, your assignment keeps you aligned.
Step 3: Lead with Presence, Not Pressure
Here’s the turning point in Moses’ leadership: It wasn’t his eloquence, charisma, or strategic genius that delivered Israel. It was God’s presence.
Exodus 33:15 records Moses’ heart cry: “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.”
Why this matters: Leadership rooted in pressure burns out. Leadership rooted in presence brings peace.
Practical Action: Build rhythms of presence into your leadership.
Start every meeting with prayer.
Block one day a week for Sabbath rest.
Spend daily time in Scripture before you touch email or social media.
Here is what will happen now... You’ll lead with discernment instead of desperation. People will trust your leadership not because you have all the answers, but because you carry peace in the storm.
Putting It All Together
Let’s imagine what this looks like in real life:
A business owner facing financial pressure chooses to pray over their budget first, instead of panicking. Presence over pressure.
A veteran entrepreneur tempted to chase every opportunity pauses and asks, “Is this aligned with my Egypt?” Clarity over confusion.
A leader tempted to step back because of insecurity remembers, “God will be with me.” Faith over fear.
This is how leaders are formed. Not in the absence of fear, but in the presence of God’s call.
The Outcome of Leading Like Moses
When you confront excuses, clarify assignment, and lead with presence:
You lead with conviction, not comparison.
You inspire trust in those you serve.
You walk in peace, even in pressure.
You become a vessel God uses to bring freedom to others.
A Final Word of Encouragement
You don’t have to be eloquent. You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to have it all figured out.
You just have to be willing.
God doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called.
Like Moses, your leadership won’t be defined by your limitations, but by God’s presence.
So step up. Step out. Lead with courage. And remember: your “Red Sea moment” is never the end—it’s the beginning of God’s greatest miracles through your obedience.
✍️ Journal Prompt:
What excuses have I been making that keep me from leading boldly?
Who is my “Egypt” — the people I’m called to serve and lead to freedom?
Where can I create space this week for God’s presence to guide my leadership?
📖 Scripture for Meditation:
Exodus 3:11-12 — “I will be with you.”
Exodus 33:15 — “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.”
1 Corinthians 1:27 — “God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”
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