Has a friend or family member ever asked to do something, and you offered every excuse in the book as to why you couldn’t or shouldn’t do it? We can be very creative with our excuses! Maybe you really had a legitimate excuse. You had to work that day or were out of town or sick. Maybe you offered a self-denigrating excuse like “I’m not creative enough or smart enough to do that.”
Has God called you to do something, but you offered God excuses as to why you couldn’t do it? Maybe you told God, “I can’t do that because I’m unqualified; I’m unworthy; I’m not smart enough; I’m not gifted enough.” If you have tried this, you are not alone.
When God called Moses to lead the Hebrew people out of Egyptian bondage, Moses said he couldn’t do that because he was “slow of speech and tongue” (Exodus 4:10). Moses was telling God, “I can’t do what you asked of me because I’m not good enough.”
When an angel told Gideon the Lord had chosen him to be a judge and leader of Israel, Gideon said, “Pardon me, my lord, but how can I save Israel? … I am the least in my family” (Judges 6:15). Gideon was telling God, “I can’t do what you have asked of me because I’m not strong enough.”
Suppose God was calling a friend or family member to serve in some capacity, and they shared with you the various excuses they were giving God as to why they couldn’t do it. You might encourage and support this person by assuring them, “You can do this. God chose you and gifted you for this very purpose.” But what if that person shared with you their excuse was, “I can’t do that because I’m not a man.” What would you tell her? Would you say, “You’re right. You can’t do that. God doesn’t use women in ministry. God doesn’t allow women to lead in any capacity”? Or would you assure her that “I’m not a man” is not a valid excuse and that God does value women and commission them to serve and lead?
What if some of the women in Scripture had offered the excuse, “I can’t do that because I’m not a man”?
What if Rahab (Joshua 2) had told Joshua, “I can’t protect you from the king of Jericho because I’m not a man”?
What if Deborah (Judges 4) had told God, “I can’t judge and lead Israel because I’m not a man”?
What if Huldah (2 Kings 22:14-20) had told Hilkiah, “I can’t speak a message to you from the Lord because I’m not a man”?
What if the Samaritan woman (John 4) had told Jesus, “I can’t tell people that you’re the Messiah because I’m not a man”?
What if Mary Magdalene (Matt 28:1), had said, “I can’t testify that Jesus has risen from the dead. No one will believe me because I am not a man”?
What if Priscilla (Acts 18) had said, “I can’t go on a missionary journey, plant a church, or teach Apollos because I’m not a man”?
What if Phoebe (Rom. 16:1) had told Paul, “I can’t take this letter to the church in Rome or read it to them because I’m not a man”?
What if Euodia, Syntyche (Phil 4:2-3) Mary, Junia, Tryphena, Tryphosa, or Persis (Rom. 16:3-12), or any of the other women Paul designated co-workers in ministry who worked hard for the Lord had said “I can’t serve in ministry because I’m not a man”?
Women striving to answer God’s call to lead and serve in ministry often face the discouraging and demoralizing experience of doors being slammed in their faces. I have experienced this firsthand, but we cannot quit and let “because I’m not a man” be our excuse. Throughout history, many people have been convinced that men are the only ones capable of strong leadership, and women are weak and should be subservient.
How can we move past this whole “I’m not a man” excuse? If you are a man in church leadership, consider inviting a woman whom you recognize is called by God to the team or the discussion rather than saying, “sorry, you’re not a man.” If you are a woman called and gifted by God to lead in ministry, don’t allow “I’m not a man” to be your excuse not to serve. In her book, Gifted to Lead, Nancy Beach observes:
God did not make a mistake when he made you. When the gifts were handed out in heaven, the angels didn’t say, ‘Whoops! That’s a girl baby –we can’t give her the gift of leadership!’ … You are not an accident or any less female just because you love to lead and are smart and full of dreams and goals. Those dreams come from your Creator, along with your instincts to lead and your passion to make a difference.
Nancy Beach, Gifted to Lead: The Art of Leading as a Woman in the Church (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008), 26.
While there are certain things women can’t do simply because we are not men, serving in ministry is not one of them. God is perfect (Ps 18:30), and He doesn’t make mistakes. When Moses offered God his excuse, “I am slow of speech,” God didn’t say, “You’re right. What was I thinking? I’ll call someone else.” Instead, God reminded Moses, “That’s not an excuse. I made you. I ought to know what you can or can’t do. You’re right. It won’t be easy, but I will be with you, and I will help you. Your task is to obey me” (Exod. 4:11-12, author paraphrase).
God doesn’t accept “but I’m not a man” as a valid excuse either. God doesn’t respond, “You’re right. What was I thinking? I’ll call a man to do that.” I believe God’s response to the excuse “I can’t do that because I’m not a man” might be something like, “That’s not an excuse. I made you. I think I ought to know what you can or can’t do. You’re right. It won’t be easy, but I will be with you, and I will help you. Your task is to obey me” (Exod. 4:11-12, author paraphrase).