So What?

"Then the LORD turned to him and said,

'Go with the strength you have,

and rescue Israel from the Midianites.

I am sending you!'

'But Lord,' Gideon replied, 'How can I rescue Israel?

My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh,

and I am the least in my entire family!'

The LORD said to him,

'I will be with you.  

And you will destroy the Midianites

as if you were fighting against one man.'"

Judges 6:14-16 NLT

My dog ate my homework.

The sun was in my eyes.

I forgot.

I ran out of time.

These are common excuses I've heard throughout my life.  While it is tempting for me to use excuses to justify my failures, it doesn't do anything toward solving the problem my sin has created.  It takes humility and spiritual maturity to be able to own up to my weaknesses and wrongdoing.

As if it wasn't bad enough for me to try to explain away my failure to do right when dealing with humans, it simply isn't a good idea to try this same tactic when it comes to God.  Still, it doesn't keep me from trying.  Usually, my insecurities and fears drive me to such a point.

When God calls, I have a million excuses:  I'm ill-equipped, not well-suited, afraid, inexperienced.  What I must remember is that God calls the weak to shame the strong in order to receive all the glory for what is done and to keep me humble (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).  Therefore, I must trust Him and remember the only thing that matters; He is with me!

Wisdom

The world says that wisdom comes with experience and age, honed over the years when one has gone through difficult circumstances and come out on the other side with lessons learned and understanding gained.  God, however, says something different.

He says that He is the source of all wisdom.  When I need to know what to do, how to handle a situation or how to best use the resources God has given me, He will show me if I trust Him fully.  I must believe with all of my heart that He holds the answer to every question, the solution to all problems and the key to every locked door (James 1:2-8).  If I'm not completely confident in His ability to supply the know-how and understanding I need, He will withhold wisdom from me.

When I don't respect God as the giver of all good things and the dispenser of all that I need, I will doubt, thinking I may need to consult a wise friend to confirm His answer (Psalm 111:10).  Other times I may think it foolish to only depend on God to show me the way, wondering, what if He's busy or what if I miss His cues?  I could even prefer to listen to "an expert" since his advice sounds so practical and common-sense.  Whatever my excuse for not seeking God, it will only result in missing His guidance. 

When I seek the world's brand of "wisdom" I will find myself going after that which does not honor God.  My mission will become to elevate my own agenda and to win at all costs.  I'll look out for my own best interests and forget about others, figuring they can fend for themselves.  Jealousy will rear it's ugly head and I'll find myself miserable.

The wisdom God dispenses liberally, however, is wholly intent on honoring Him and furthering His purpose.  It doesn't promote the common practice of using others to get what I want but sees all people as bearers of God's holy image.  Peace will follow as God gets the glory for what He is doing in my life (James 3:13-18).

When I trust God enough to answer His call on my life, He will give me wisdom to know how to live.

Strength

I am weak.  As someone who has been given physical strength, however, this admission does not come easily.  While it may be natural for me to lift a heavy box, take two steps at a time, or open a tightly-closed jar, it's not so easy for me to do what is outside of my comfort zone.  For this, I need the strength of the Lord.

God is faithful to provide the power I need to love those who treat me with contempt.  It takes His strength to show kindness and compassion to someone who constantly throws sharp barbs at me.  Often, though, the harshest among us are the ones who are hurting the most.  God's love could break through the hard shell they've erected for protection.  

He is also the only One who can lift me up out of the pit of despair.  When my feelings tell me I'm no good and my life is without hope, the Lord is the One who can give me the strength to stand up and receive His mercy (Psalm 40:1-3).

In addition, the Lord can give me the ability to stand firm in times of confusion, speaking the truth in love.  When it seems to me that others are more equipped to stand up for what is right, if I'm the one who notices the wrong-teaching, it is up to me to set the record straight.  He will give me the strength to do my part so the body of Christ will be edified (Ephesians 4:14-16).

When I trust God enough to answer His call on my life, He will give me the strength to do what He's called me to do.  

Favor

I didn't know what to do.  I finished all the work, but was unsure of how to complete the job.  Since I didn't feel comfortable with the final stages, I let the project sit dormant for years.  As my friend is fond of saying, I failed to run through the finish line.

God is a strong finisher.  When He set out to create the world, He didn't stop until the task was done, looking at His work and declaring it good (Genesis 1).  I, on the other hand, tend to work with gusto in the areas where I feel comfortable and neglect what is not.  For instance, I have no problem cooking up a great meal, but would rather leave the clean-up to someone else.

When I buck my feelings, however, and instead trust God enough to plunge ahead, I will find that He sets all the pieces in place so that the job is not as bad as I thought it would be.  Before I know it, I'm doing what I thought I could never do because the Lord is making it all work out.  

If I don't feel comfortable speaking in public, for example, I can trust Him to give me the words I need to deliver the message He has for others to hear.  Or, when I answer His call to adopt a child even though I've never thought of myself as the motherly type, I will find my heart drawn to the little one who so desperately needs a home.  Even if I don't mind praying with my family but could never imagine leading a prayer in a group, trusting God enough to obey His gentle prods will result in words freely flowing from my mouth in a song of praise.

Not only will God equip me, but He has gone before me to set all the pieces in place in preparation for my arrival.  When I resist the urge to hold back but instead walk forward in faith, I will find doors opening up to allow my passage, people offering to help, and resources appearing as if from nowhere.  I'll only witness this kind of favor, however, when I trust God enough to take a step into the darkness where He is waiting for me.

When I trust God enough to answer His call in my life, His favor will enable me to finish the mission.

I have a million excuses as to why I can't do something to which God is calling me.  God's answer, however, is "So what?"  If He is with me, what is there I cannot do?  His presence gives me the wisdom I need to know what to do, the strength required to do the work, and the favor that is necessary to finish the job.  In other words, I have no excuse!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can stop using excuses and start trusting God.

When do I feel weak but forget that He is strong?

How am I trying to make things happen instead of following God's lead?   


Originally published on March 18, 2014