Three Lessons From the Call of Gideon

There is a well-known quote that says…

Strong men create good times.
Good times create weak men.
Weak men create hard times.
Hard times create strong men.

It’s a cycle. As a twenty-first century American, I am fortunate to say that we have experienced incredibly good times – not perfect, but definitely good. These good times, however, have unfortunately led our society to take many things for granted and to consume ourselves with distractions. And, as the cycle goes, these good times have ushered in a weak population which means that weaker leaders and weaker people will ultimately bring all of us into much harder times.

This was the same cycle seen in ancient Israel roughly 3,300 years ago during the time of the Judges. It set the stage for a man named Gideon whom God had called and chosen to raise up in order to tear down idols, mobilize His people, and defeat Israel’s enemies.

CONTEXT

In Judges 6 we read that the people of Midian had overpowered the nation of Israel and took advantage of them for seven years. The Midianites were bullies in that anytime God’s people planted something they would come in and take it away – like taxes and inflation, they could never get ahead. The Midianites were thieves, but the reason Israel were in this predicament in the first place was because they had turned their back on God. However, in this passage (Judges 6:11-16), we see three lessons from Gideon’s calling:

LESSON #1 – DON’T SEE PEOPLE FOR WHO THEY ARE, BUT FOR WHO THEY CAN BE

Gideon was a man who was hiding, keeping his head down, acting behind the scenes, and not trying to draw any attention. This is not exactly an ideal candidate for rescuing God’s people, but it was during this hard and evil time in Israel’s history when God came to one of the least likely individuals and called him to step up!

The greeting of God was this: “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor!”

The word valor means “great courage in the face of danger, especially in battle” and this is interesting because there is nothing in this passage to suggest that Gideon was a courageous man. If anything, we see the opposite. However, God does not see as man sees. We often look at who people are, but God looks at who people can be! He sees their potential, and it is always His desire to raise them up to greater things! Therefore, let us strive to see others the way God sees them.

LESSON #2 – DON’T COMPLAIN…CHANGE!

Gideon responded to the LORD with a complaint. “If the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us?” To start, a simple reading of this passage quickly reveals that this oppression was the result of their sin – it was the natural consequence of their decision to walk away from the LORD which meant that it was well-deserved. But Gideon’s response is relatable because even in our time it is easy to complain about the problems we face, even when they are self-inflicted. But the way God responded was a basic leadership principle we should always remember:

If something is not right, rather than complain, work hard to enact change!

God basically told Gideon, “You want to see My powerful hand at work? Then don’t just sit there and complain…go do something! Because the way I choose to work is through My people!” Therefore, let us not complain about the day and age we live in, but let us work hard in the strength of our God to bring change to the world in which we live.

LESSON #3 – DON’T DISCOUNT YOURSELF BECAUSE IT DISCREDITS THE LORD!

Gideon’s second response was just as bad as the first, he discounted himself which ultimately serves, though not the intention, to discredit the LORD. After all, if God calls you to something and you turn away from it, you are not only saying that it is impossible for you but also for God…which obviously is not true. This natural lack of confidence was a characteristic in Moses and Jeremiah as well in their callings, but each of them had to learn that it was not about them. On the contrary, it was about Him [the LORD] working through and using the weak to show Himself strong!

On our own, and just like Gideon, none of us have the power to effect change even in our own lives, let alone our families, our nation, and the world around us…but we are not on our own. God is with you and He has a plan to use you in mightier ways than you could ever dream! Just like Gideon, you and I are His mighty men [or women] of valor whom He has called to this place at this time to accomplish a very specific task:

To tear down idols
To mobilize His people
And to war and WIN against the spiritual forces of evil.

Therefore, let us not discount ourselves, but let us trust that whatever God calls us to He will go before us, be with us, and will bring success by His mighty hand!

About the Author