By Robert J. Tamasy
Have you ever been asked to perform a challenging assignment, one far out of your comfort zone, and when first approached about it you thought, “Who, me?” Many of us like to face challenges, as long as they seem aligned with our strengths and expertise. But being asked to do something that is far beyond our normal responsibilities can be daunting.
Years ago, I had one of those experiences. I was on staff with CBMC International and directed to travel to Brazil to meet with a group of people who were struggling to establish a fruitful ministry. My first reaction was, “Who, me?” I thought my boss had mistaken me for someone else. Why ask me?
I had a number of reasons for feeling such a trip would take me far out of my element: I did not speak Portuguese. I had never been to Brazil and knew nothing about the culture. I did not know anyone there. And I was a writer and an editor, not a consultant for how to build an effective marketplace ministry.
Nevertheless, as I prayed about the assignment, I sensed God’s peace and actually started to view it as a bit of an adventure. The trip exceeded anything I could have imagined. And it was not my doing – it was all the Lord’s doing, working through me. As Ephesians 3:20 declares, “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us….”
I met some wonderful new friends. I found an eager group of men and women in Sao Paulo and other cities wanting help in how to reach out to and disciple people they met every day in the marketplace. God gave me some useful analogies for discussing the importance of team building and using their giftedness. The visit also provided encouragement for their vision of translating “Monday Manna” into other languages so it could be accessible to many more people in that very diverse nation.
In reading in the Scriptures, I have found two men – Isaiah and Moses – who also were given difficult assignments, men who responded in very different ways. In the sixth chapter of the Old Testament book of Isaiah, a man by the same name was very troubled about the godlessness of the people of Judah. During a powerful vision from God he heard the Lord asking, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Almost immediately, Isaiah responded, “Here am I. Send me!” Then God directed him to prophecy and call them to repentance and a return to God. Certainly not his dream job, but he did it.
Contrast Isaiah’s response with that of Moses centuries before. Israel had been enslaved in Egypt for 400 years and the people were crying out to God for deliverance. His choice to lead them out of bondage? Moses. Speaking out of a burning bush, the Lord said, “…now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:9-10).
Unlike Isaiah, Moses replied, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” Later, after complaining that he was not an eloquent speaker and felt ill-equipped for such a challenging role, he again said, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it” (Exodus 4:10-13). However, God ultimately prevailed and Moses, aided by his brother Aaron, did lead the Israelites from Egypt.
Could it be that God is calling you to some major task or assignment and you are wondering, “Who, me? Why me?” Pray about it and remember – God does not call the equipped. He equips the called.
© 2026. Robert J. Tamasy has written Marketplace Ambassadors: CBMC’s Continuing Legacy of Evangelism and Discipleship; Business at Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace; Pursuing Life With a Shepherd’s Heart, co-authored with Ken Johnson; and The Heart of Mentoring, co-authored with David A. Stoddard, and numerous other books and magazine articles. Bob’s biweekly blog is: www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com.
Reflection/Discussion Questions
Have you ever been asked to take on a difficult assignment, something that seemed very much out of your comfort zone? How did you respond?
Think of the examples of Isaiah and Moses, one of whom said, “Here I am. Send me!” while the other said in essence, “Here I am. Send somebody else!”? Which one do you think you would be most inclined to emulate? Explain your answer.
If you sense a calling to serve Jesus Christ in the marketplace, what are some of the challenges you have faced? Why does God not make it easier for those He has called to be “Christ’s ambassadors,” as 2 Corinthians 5:20 describes it?
The final statement in this meditation is, “God does not call the equipped. He equips the called.” What do you think that means?
NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages:
1 Samuel 3:10
Jeremiah 1:4-8
Matthew 28:19-20
2 Corinthians 9:8
Philippians 2:13
Challenge for This Week
If God were to present you with a challenging assignment, one you did not feel equipped to do, would you accept it anyway? If not, set aside some time this week to pray and ask Him for the courage to take on whatever He sends your way.
Ask some friends, a mentor or advisor to pray with you, supporting you in the desire to be ready when the Lord asks, “Who will go for Me?”