Lose the Gideon Mentality

I was speaking with a friend of mine a few days ago and she shared with me her devotion for that day which was about Gideon and she went on to say how blessed she was from some of the things that God had revealed to her. As I listened to her, I started to wonder how many of us behave like Gideon.

We can find the story of Gideon in Judges 6.  The children of Israel had done evil in the sight of God and He delivered them into the hands of the Midianites.  The Israelites became greatly impoverished by the Midianites and cried to the Lord for help. God chose Gideon who was also suffering at the hand of the Midianites as the person who would deliver Israel form the hand of the Midianites. An angel of the Lord came to Gideon to deliver the news. The angel greeted Gideon by saying: “The LORD [is] with thee, thou mighty man of valour” Gideon did not acknowledge this description of him instead he expressed his concern of why they were being defeated by the Midianites if God was with them. The Angel went on to tell Gideon that He was the one chosen to go and save Israel from the hands of the Midianites, because the Lord had sent him.

Judges 6:15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family [is] poor in Manasseh, and I [am] the least in my father's house. Not only did Gideon have this poor self- image, but we see further where he wanted signs to know that this was God speaking with him.

 So many of us behave like Gideon did, we see ourselves to be much less than how God see’s us. God sees mighty men and women of valor and we see poor and the least. We must start to see ourselves as God sees us instead of how we see ourselves or how other people see us. God sees potential and possibilities that is within us through Jesus Christ. God sees conquerors but we see defeatist. God sees blessed and highly favored, but we see cursed. God sees health and wealth and we see sick and poor. He sees Lenders, and we see borrowers. It is time we start to see ourselves with a spiritual eyes. We cannot afford to rely on how we feel; instead we have to rely on what God word says.

 Gideon seemed to have missed when the angel told him that God was him. God was simple going to work through Gideon to accomplish His purpose. Phil 4: 13 reminds us

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

 Gideon wanted to have some tangible signs that God was talking with him. So do some of us. We actually want God to come and literally tap us on the shoulder, write on the walls in our homes or audible call our name. Whereas these ways are not impossible, we need to rely on the direction of the Holy Spirit. We need to release our faith and trust what God is calling us to do. Let’s lose the Gideon Mentality.

 

In His Service,

  

Vilma