Tragic Necessity: When Following God Requires Defying What's 'Right'

Anchor scripture: "By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter." – Hebrews 11:24

We often read the story of Moses from the perspective of hindsight. We know he would become the deliverer of Israel. We know he would stand before Pharaoh, part the Red Sea, receive the Law and establish a nation.
But what if we paused for a moment and looked at the story through someone else's eyes? What if we saw it through the eyes of Pharaoh's daughter? She rescued a helpless Hebrew baby from the Nile. She defied her father's decree to save his life. She raised him as her own son, giving him the finest education, the greatest opportunities and a place in the most powerful empire on earth.

As far as Scripture tells us, Moses was her son. He was a prince of Egypt and, humanly speaking, could have become Pharaoh himself. Then one day, he walked away.

To Egypt, it looked like betrayal. To Heaven, it was called faith.

Perhaps that is one of the great paradoxes of the Christian life: obedience to God can sometimes look like foolishness, ingratitude or even betrayal to those who do not see what God is doing.

When Culture Redefines What Is Right

Following Christ has never simply been about avoiding obvious sin. It also requires resisting the quiet influence of a culture that constantly redefines truth.

Many behaviours that Scripture calls believers to avoid have gradually become normalised—not only in society but, at times, even within the church. Sexual purity before marriage is increasingly viewed as unrealistic. Integrity is often sacrificed in pursuit of success. Relationships and lifestyles that once raised questions are now widely celebrated. Compromise is frequently excused as being practical, progressive or simply "the way the world works."

The challenge for today's believer is learning to distinguish between what culture celebrates and what Christ affirms.

When Good Competes With God

Some of life's hardest decisions are not between right and wrong. They are between something good and what God is specifically asking.

Egypt was not inherently bad. It gave Moses an education, leadership experience, influence and access to one of the greatest civilisations of its time. In fact, God would later use everything Moses learned in Egypt to prepare him to lead a nation.

The problem was never Egypt. The problem was allowing Egypt to define him. 

Many believers experience this same tension. A successful career, financial security, family expectations, reputation or even ministry opportunities may all be good. Yet there are moments when God gently calls us in a different direction.

In those moments, faith asks a different question. Not, "What makes the most sense?" But, "What is God saying?"

The Journey From Identity to Intimacy

Moses' greatest transformation was not geographical. It was personal. He was born a Hebrew. Raised as an Egyptian prince. Then hidden for forty years in Midian.

Before God entrusted him with leading a nation, He stripped away every identity Moses had relied upon until his confidence rested in neither Egypt nor Israel, but in God alone. Perhaps that is why the wilderness was necessary. Before Moses could recognise God's assignment, he first had to recognise God's voice.

Our greatest identity is never found in our family, career, achievements, relationships or even our ministry. It is found in belonging to Christ.

Sold Out to Christ

Moses' life also echoes one of the most challenging invitations Jesus ever gave. In Luke 14:26, Jesus says, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple." Likewise, in Matthew 10:37, He declares, "Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." 

Jesus is not calling us to despise those we love, but to recognise that our highest allegiance belongs to Him alone. This is the essence of wholehearted discipleship. Family, career, reputation, ambitions and even our own desires are wonderful gifts from God, but they must never take God's place. 

Moses' journey illustrates this truth. In the end, he was not choosing between Egypt and Israel, or between one family and another. He was choosing to place God above every competing loyalty. The Christian life remains the same today. Before God asks us to do great things for Him, He asks us a far more personal question: "Am I truly first?"

Living With Spiritual Precision
One of the beautiful realities of faith is that God deals with people personally. Two believers may face the same situation and yet be led differently because God's purpose for each life is different. What appears wise for one person may not be God's direction for another.

This is why the Christian life cannot be reduced to formulas or religious habits. It requires a relationship. It requires discernment. It requires learning to recognise the voice of the Holy Spirit above the voices of culture, family, public opinion and even our own preferences.

Faith is not merely choosing what is right. Faith is choosing what God is saying.

Supporting Those Carrying God's Assignment 

God's purposes are rarely fulfilled in isolation. Moses had Jethro, whose wisdom transformed the way he led Israel. Zipporah faithfully supported her husband's extraordinary assignment, carrying responsibilities that enabled him to remain focused on the work God had entrusted to him. None of them may have realised the significance of their contribution at the time, yet they became part of a story that would shape generations.

The same remains true today. Not everyone is called to stand before Pharaoh. Some are called to strengthen those who do. Sometimes the greatest act of faith is offering wisdom, encouragement, prayer or practical support to someone carrying a significant assignment from God. History is often shaped by people whose names are mentioned only briefly.

A Life Fully Yielded

As Moses matured, something remarkable happened. His life ceased to revolve around Egypt. It wasn't ultimately about Israel either. It became about God.

That is the invitation extended to every believer. Not simply to become better people. Not merely to make good decisions. But to become people whose deepest desire is to know God and to do whatever He asks.

The Christian life is not measured by how closely we resemble culture or even by how faithfully we follow religious expectations. It is measured by our willingness to surrender completely to Christ. Perhaps that is the tragic necessity of faith.

There are moments when following Jesus requires us to release identities, ambitions, comforts and expectations that are not necessarily sinful, but are no longer ours to hold. Yet every surrender creates room for something greater. 

In the end, God was never simply asking Moses to choose between Egypt and Israel. He was asking Moses to choose Him. And he continues to ask us the same question today. 

Perhaps this is the tragic necessity of discipleship: every believer will eventually be asked to choose whether Christ is simply a part of their life or whether He is truly Lord over all of it.