I was quietly minding my own business (as any introverted college freshman girl would), checking my school mailbox, when someone suddenly rushed from behind and tickled both sides of my ribs. Surprised, I turned around only to see another shocked face–an upperclassman who’d intended to play a joke on his friend! Seeing my bewilderment at this unwanted attention, he apologized profusely, explaining he mistook me for someone else. After an embarrassed moment, we both went about our business.
Maybe Gideon felt equally interrupted from his anonymous pursuits. In the shadows of a threshing floor, Gideon intended to prepare food for his family and hide from invading Midianites. A simple young man taking care of his family, a nobody of nobodies as far as Jewish lineage, Gideon simply aimed to stay under the enemy’s radar long enough to survive.
Suddenly a dazzling angel from heaven appeared and greeted Gideon. “Hail, mighty man of valor!” Shaking in his boots, Gideon basically asked, “Who? ME??? You must be looking for someone else.” Surely the angel needed someone with famous relatives and lionhearted character. Gideon sure didn’t feel mighty or like a warrior. He was a wimpy coward at that point. But God saw him differently!
We only even know of Gideon because he chose to believe the angel’s assessment. Had Gideon focused on his past or current behavior and rejected the way God saw him, he might have fled the angel and died at the hands of the Midianites. Instead, (with some requested reassurance from God), he stepped out in faith, faced seemingly hopeless odds, and lived to manifest that mighty warrior inside.
Pretend an angel now greets you, “Hail mighty one of faith! God sees you as righteous, forgiven, blameless, chosen, more than a conqueror, and victorious!” Will you believe? Will you accept God’s assignment, no matter how crazy or scary it sounds?
Or does the devil’s accusing voice ring louder and more credibly, as he condemns you for past failures and points out your many flaws? With a concluding sneer, he contradicts God’s message, “Some Christian you are! God is fed up with you! Your future is hopeless.”
Truth: If we’re in Christ, imperfection no longer disqualifies us in God’s eyes. Jesus fully addressed our sin on the cross. Focusing on ourselves simply burdens our conscience and keeps us from manifesting the fruit of the Spirit and loving others. Believing that it’s all about our behavior and that we need to improve our flesh is a losing proposition!
The only way out of sin is to look to the cross, believe it was enough, and then run to the Father every time we blow it–knowing He sees beyond our past. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God (I Corinthians 6:11).
Which voice will you believe? How will your story end?
Thank you, Carrie – your observation, “Believing that it’s all about our behavior and that we need to improve our flesh is a losing proposition!” echoes the study of Galatians I’ve just completed. Paul said the same thing over and over and over, as if he was having trouble getting anyone to believe him! I think that’s because we have trouble convincing our sinful selves of the Truth, that we can have victory over the flesh, but ONLY in Christ. Romans 8:37 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”