Do the Gideon

This weekend we watched Captain America. Yes I admit, I love super hero movies. But what stood out to me most in that movie (while very cool) were not the fight scenes or even how Captain America defeated the enemy but how he came to be. So how was Captain America before he became the man with the star on his chest?

Weak. If you’ve seen the movie you know how disturbingly puny they made Chris Evans appear. His desire is to join the army in the division his father was in to fight the Nazis but he keeps getting turned down because he's too small, too weak. No one believes in him, instead they laugh at him. Until one guy sees past the limitations that everyone else sees. A doctor chooses him to become Captain America.

 He asks the doctor, "Why me?" To which the doctor responds, “Because a strong man, who has known power all his life, will lose respect for that power. But a weak man knows the value of strength, and knows compassion."

                                                                                                  

A little backdrop to the story of Gideon. The Israelites had turned their backs on God and therefore weren’t protected from their enemy, the Midianites , who pillaged their village. So they, along with Gideon, were in hiding to try and keep the enemy from taking what was left of their animals and crops. Again they found themselves praying for help, praying for God to deliver them from their current circumstances. So God sent an angel to Gideon to tell them He was answering their prayers, He was in fact going to deliver them from their enemies!

Awesome right? This is the part where you may think do the gideon could be considered a dance, a happy, victorious dance...well…not so much, because the next thing Gideon heard was “You are a mighty warrior, Gideon. Go out boldly, and save your people from the power of the Midianites."

 Now Gideon was a simple, humble man. He didn’t view himself as a warrior but as a weakling. His response was to demean himself. He reminded God that in the entire tribe of Manasseh, his family was the most insignificant, the furthest thing from the cream of the crop. He said he was the youngest and weakest!  I picture him dropping the flail (which I learned recently was a tool for threshing wheat) and taking a step back, trying not to fall over, looking behind him and back at the angel with his finger to his own chest saying, “Hold up. Say what? Are you talking to me? If you’re looking for the right guy for the job of rescuing Israel you’ve come to the wrong hombre my friend!” It’s funny that the very things he was using as his defense to why he wasn’t qualified were the very reasons God chose him in the first place. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.”James 4:10

Sometimes it’s other people who hold us back from achieving things in our lives. We let them define us by the limits they put on us, we believe them when they say we’re not qualified, not good enough. But sometimes we’re the ones who put limits on ourselves. Have you ever felt that way? Doubted that God could ever use you? That you have nothing to offer? Well welcome to Gideon’s world. He lacked the confidence that he was capable. And the truth is, he wasn’t… Not alone.

God told him, "Peace be unto you, Gideon; do not fear, for I am with you." God says the same thing to us. He may not use an angel, but in the bible God says 366 times “Do not be afraid.” He covered every day of the year (including leap year). I think it’s safe to say, he means it.

Gideon felt incompetent, I’m sure in his eyes there were more suitable men for the job, stronger, more confident but he didn’t let his feelings of inadequacies keep him from following God. Not only was Gideon victorious in defeating the Midianites, he did it with his army cut down from 32,000 to 300 soldiers!

You see, I believe God loves to Do the Gideon. Although it sounds like it, I assure you it’s nothing like “doing the hustle.” Since the beginning of time God has used weak, messed up, humble people to accomplish amazing, impossible things. He did it with Moses, Jeremiah, David, & many more. They looked down on themselves or were viewed by others as inadequate. But they are the ones who are humble; the ones who God knows can show compassion. It is through them that the true power and glory of God can be shown. "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness. So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me." 2 Corinthians 12:9.
What I love most about the Gideon is that God still does the same thing today!

We need to stop listening to what others say about us and start listening to what God says. We need to stop putting the limits we put on ourselves on a limitless God. I don’t know what your situation is…maybe it’s a job you dream of having, a child you wish would obey, a friend you want to know how much God loves them, maybe you just feel like you’re supposed to be doing more…whatever the case may be don’t let your feelings of inadequacies keep you from victory. Don’t worry…If God calls you, He’ll qualify you. The very thing that you think disqualifies you, may be the very thing that makes you a perfect candidate for God’s plan! He’ll provide you with exactly what you need when you need it. He’ll give you the right amount of strength, He’ll open doors that need to be open, He’ll replace doubt with faith and fear with confidence. He will make you a mighty warrior.

After the doctor tells Captain America why he chose him he says, “Whatever happens tomorrow, you must promise me one thing. That you will stay who you are. Not a perfect soldier, but a good man.”

 Gideon was not an extraordinary man; he was just an ordinary,humble man from an ordinary,plain family in an ordinary tribe. He was just weak enough for God to choose him and obedient enough to follow despite any doubt or uncertainty. You don’t always have to be qualified for God to use you, you don’t have to have giant sized faith or hulk like strength. You don’t have to be faster, more attractive, wiser, or more athletic than the person next to you. You just have to be willing. Willing to let God turn your weaknesses into strengths. Willing to trust Him to do the Gideon in your own life.

           Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." Luke 18:27