As I start this new journey, I face many personal mountains that are trying to intimidate me, slow me down, and even stop me in my tracks. I am only human, and there are times that these mountains do just that. I question so much, specifically what I am doing, why me, and who am I to be writing Christian Fiction. As I am in the process of editing my first novel, I think about my characters, their structure, and are they giving off the energy I really intended for them, I can't help but think of people like Moses, David, and Jonah. The lives they lived, troubles they seen, and the energy that is really displayed.
Moses - When the Called Don't Feel Qualified
There are so many stories we’ve read or heard about Moses. Images of him holding stone tablets or walking through a parted sea. But his first response to God’s call is nothing like those moments. His first response is insecurity.
So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:10-11, NIV)
"Who am I?"
That question reveals everything about not feeling qualified and he continues that feeling into chapter 4.
4:1 - He questions his credibility. “What if they don’t believe me?”
4:10 - He questions his ability. “I am not eloquent…”
4:13 - He questions the entire assignment. “Please send someone else.”
But why is he rejecting the call so strongly? Why does he push back at every turn?
By the time we reach Exodus 3, Moses has been living in Midian for 40 years. A man on the run, a fugitive with a past he can’t erase. In Exodus 2, he kills an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew. That moment didn’t just force him out of Egypt; it followed him into the wilderness. It shaped how he saw himself.
He feels unqualified, disqualified, and overshadowed by his own failures. Every objection he gives reveals a man who believes he is the wrong person for the job.
Yet in the middle of all that insecurity, God answers him with one simple promise: “I will be with you.”
And because of that, the story moves forward.
David - Flawed but Still Chosen
David. Where do we begin? It’s easy to picture the king with a crown, the warrior with a sword, or the poet with a harp. But his story doesn’t begin with royal confidence or strength. It begins with a teenager who wasn’t even invited to the lineup when Samuel came looking for Israel’s next king.
David is anointed in 1 Samuel 16 while still a youth, overlooked by his own family, chosen while smelling like sheep. There is nothing about this moment that screams “main character energy.” Yet shortly after, he steps onto a battlefield with nothing but a sling and a handful of stones.
David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. (1 Samuel 17:45, NIV)
David defeats Goliath, but even in this victory, the strength isn’t his own. He knows it. He says it. He lives it. His courage comes from something beyond himself. Even he himself knew he wasn't the hero or the main character.
After Goliath, David was put in charge of the Armies. He continued to be blessed in battle after battle. But David’s story doesn’t stay on the mountaintop. The same man who wrote psalms of worship also made devastating choices.
In 2 Samuel 11, David sees Bathsheba, sleeps with her, and then arranges the death of her husband, Uriah to attempt to cover up his sin and his child. It is one of the darkest chapters in his life. A moment that exposes his humanity, his weakness, and his capacity for failure. When the prophet Nathan confronts him, David doesn’t defend himself or hide behind his title.
“I have sinned against the Lord.” (2 Samuel 12:13, NIV)
This confession marks the beginning of his repentance. Psalm 51 gives us a glimpse into his heart. One that was broken, humbled, desperate for restoration.
And restoration does come.
Despite the consequences of his actions, David’s story doesn’t end in failure. God renews his kingship, strengthens his legacy, and reaffirms His covenant with him.
Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’” (2 Samuel 7:16, NIV)
David’s life is a mixture of courage and collapse, worship and weakness, calling and correction. He is chosen, but not because he carries the energy of a perfect hero. Because of his heart and his true repentance, his story went on.
Jonah - We Have a Runner
Jonah is such a whale of a story. It doesn’t begin with bold obedience or prophetic confidence. It begins with a command from God and Jonah running in the opposite direction.
“The word of the Lord came to Jonah… ‘Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it.’ But Jonah ran away from the Lord…” (Jonah 1:1–3, NIV)
Instead of stepping into his calling, Jonah runs as far from Nineveh as he can get. His first instinct isn’t courage. He doesn't think he is the hero of his story. He doesn’t want the assignment and doesn’t feel like the right person for the job.
Jonah’s resistance sets off a chain reaction. A storm. A terrified crew. A prophet asleep below deck while chaos rages above.
When Jonah finally admits he’s the reason for the storm, he tells the sailors to throw him overboard. He surrendered. It’s a man who would rather sink than obey.
But the story doesn’t end in the sea.
“Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights." (Jonah 1:17, NIV)
Inside the belly of the fish, Jonah finally prays. Jonah 2 records his cry, a mixture of desperation, regret, and a flicker of renewed obedience. After three days, the fish releases him, and Jonah goes to Nineveh after all.
But even then, Jonah doesn’t walk in with confidence or joy. He delivers the message, the people repent, and God shows mercy. But what about Jonah? He becomes angry about it.
“But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry.” (Jonah 4:1, NIV)
Jonah wrestles with God’s compassion, struggles with his own expectations, and sits outside the city frustrated, waiting to see what will happen. His story is not polished. It’s not heroic. It’s not the picture of someone who carries main character energy.
Jonah is reluctant, resistant, emotional, and deeply human. He runs. He argues. He obeys, but not without tension.
And yet, despite all of this, his story moves forward. Not because he is steady or strong, but because something greater than his reluctance keeps pulling him back into the narrative.
So I am Not the Main Character
All of our stories are still being written daily. Just like the men here, none of us are finished products. Moses, David, Jonah, their lives were full of highs and lows, victories and failures, obedience and rebellion. And yet, their stories continued.
From a murderer who didn’t believe he was worthy… to a young king who fell into an affair and arranged a death… to a prophet who ran from God’s command…
Each of them carried flaws, fears, and failures. And just like them, I have a story. Some who read this may know parts of it, others may know none of it. But whether our stories are known or hidden, we all share one truth:
We are not the main characters of our own stories. We are a supporting character at best.
You read that right. Moses, David, Jonah, and even me, do not carry that kind of energy.
So who is?
By now, I hope you see it. In every story, God is the one who continues the narrative. He is the one who steps in when we fall apart. He is the one who restores, redirects, redeems, and rewrites.
I may have sinned. I may have doubted. I may have walked away. But the Author, the true main character, has the strength, the power, and the energy to continue the story.
It’s not by my will or my ability. It’s not by my confidence or my perfection. It’s by His.
And if He could work through Moses, David, and Jonah, men who were insecure, imperfect, and inconsistent, then why not me?
Why not you?
