“Just a dumb stick”.

Recently I was talking with a youth leader about the youth ministry she is involved in. She is a brilliant leader who is leading an amazing life group full of young people kicking in their faith, and a key leader in her youth ministry team.

She is raising up new leaders, seeing young people embracing their faith, and providing leadership and example to her whole youth ministry.

As I sat listening to her, she began to share how hard she was finding it, how she wondered if she were actually making any difference in the lives of any young people, and often thought she should just quit.

I was reminded of the story in Exodus 3 where we find Moses stumbling across a bush that was burning but it wasn’t. God’s voice then speaks to Moses from the bush, saying He wants to use Moses to rescue the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses response was “who am I?” God continues to encourage Moses telling him that he wont be going on his own and that He would be there with him. Moses still doubting his own abilities continues to try get himself out of the situation. God then asks an interesting question… “Whats in your hand”, to which Moses laughs and says “just a dumb stick”. God then says to Moses throw down your stick, I can imagine reluctantly and confusingly he throw’s the stick and it turns into a snake! This same simple ‘dumb stick’ we read on to find that God uses it as a pivotal stick to rescue the nation of Israel.

To often as youth leaders and pastors, God asks us what is in our hands, and we respond “it’s just a dumb stick, it’s just my little bit of leadership, musical abilities, speaking, a little life group, it’s just my life… me”, “WHO AM I? I’m nothing just a plain, normal, nothing special, boring old stick”.

Too often we can also look at other peoples sticks; at the amazing gifts and talents they have, and we look down at the stick in our hand.

Its time to stop comparing sticks, to understand that God gives a variety of different sticks, to have total confidence that God has called you, and that you might see just a dumb stick in your hand, but maybe God sees something different: amazing stick thats going to impact a generation for Jesus.

Go on use you stick, believe in the stick God has placed in your hand and see God use it!!! Maybe just maybe it’s not just a dumb stick after all!!!

Blog Post by Dave Morrow
Youth & Young Adults Pastor
Victoria Point Baptist Church