The Calling and Empowering of God

March 20, 2015

The Lord looked at (Gideon) and said, “Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?” He said to Him, “O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.” But the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.” (Judges 6:14-16)

Every man who has been called by God always senses his inadequacy to do the task. Gideon was no exception. He was from the smallest and most humble tribe in Israel. He was just a common man who did not expect the unusual call upon his life to be a leader/judge of Israel.

And yet the Lord called him. Gideon's immediate response was to remind the Lord that he had no strength to do what was required.

God answered him with the answer that He has given every called leader from Abraham onward. And this is the ultimate game-changer in leadership:

""Surely I will be with you.”

That's the answer to fear. That's the antidote for our inadequacy. That’s the remedy for our weakness. That is the singular essence that makes us different and more powerful than our adversaries…the presence of God.

Without God’s presence we have no capability to lead nor defeat our enemies. With God we have all we need and beyond. No one can stand before the One who made us (and them) and holds heaven and earth in His hands.

Has God called you? If so, don’t judge your leadership ability by your own gifts alone. This will lead to leadership-killing pride and/or debilitating inadequacy.

God knows you have what is needed from the human-gifting side to do what is required or He would not have chosen you for the task. But He also knows you do not have enough to do the job alone.

Look to Him for the needed enabling and move forward with faith in His strength. His presence is enough.





Also in Graceful Truth

TAKING THE LONG LOOK
TAKING THE LONG LOOK

May 15, 2024

Life is a mixture of the hard and the easy, the bad and the good. If you follow Christ, particularly if you live to serve Christ, this seems even to be magnified. If we are not careful on the hard days, we forget what this is all about.

Continue Reading

THE MAN WHO NEVER DIES
THE MAN WHO NEVER DIES

May 13, 2024

From the moment of our birth, a spiral of death begins. Cells live and die. Each cell in your body carries in its DNA the exact number of times it will replicate, and then it stops. That’s why our hair loses color, our skin wrinkles, and our physical body ultimately stops working.

Continue Reading

ARE YOU A LIFE-GIVER?
ARE YOU A LIFE-GIVER?

May 09, 2024

You love to see them coming. There are some people that are simply refreshing to your spirit. They bring joy, encouragement, wisdom, and spiritual perspective. To be around them is to be energized and helped. They carry the life-giving fragrance of Christ.

Continue Reading