You Can’t Microwave Life

Insight 103 | Why Gideon? (Pt. 2)

We love the destination and, as such, are quick to miss the nuances of the transformation or the journey it took to get there. Consider some of the most epic training scenes in cinema history: Rocky Balboa preparing to fight Apollo Creed, Bruce Wayne becoming The Batman, or Luke Skywalker with Yoda on Dagoba to end the Sith.

While on screen, these took a matter of seconds at most, a minute or two; the time they represented spanned months or even years. They didn't capture every detail of these characters' evolutions; instead, they cut to the highlights. While this is effective for on-screen storytelling, too many of us have been led ot believe it should be the same in our own lives. But the truth is, You Can’t Microwave Life.

In article one of this series, we dove into the narrative of the Old Testament figure Gideon as told in the book of Judges, chapters 6-8, and explored how and why God often calls us to battle before we ever “feel” ready. Today, we’re taking a look at the reality of what happens after we are called but before the war itself arrives. What exactly goes on in that in between?  In wrestling with the text, I’ve come to understand this period of time is not an idle one, but a process that is essential and often misunderstood. 

Ultimately, God has called Gideon, a lowly man, to free the Israelites from the terrorization of the Midianite people. This is a large task that the Lord knows will take a great deal of courage and faith. So, before jumping into it directly, God does something clever and intriguing: he develops both of these criteria in Gideon first in order to draw from them later. These are the stories of The Altar (this article) and the Fleece (the following edition)... In other words, THESE are the training montage.

See, Israel was experiencing these troubles because they had strayed from the Lord; they had forsaken and betrayed him and, as a result, welcomed unwanted trouble. God's first order of business is to return his people's hearts to himself and instructs Gideon to rise, “pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it”, and then “build an altar to the Lord your God”. This is a seemingly straightforward ask, but given the cultural context, this was like placing a target on your back. Gideon understood this and was scared. Here is where the story should pique our interest. The Word tells us that “Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the Lord had told him. But because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night.” Now, isn't this fascinating?

Again, this man is not a particularly special individual; he doesn't have much going for him, and now we find out he’s also a scaredy cat? What is God really getting at here? What could he possibly contribute? The Answer: Obedience. 

Notice, the text emphasizes Gidoen was terrified; it leans into this reality, it doesn't ignore it. But here is the beauty and the message we should look to implement in our own lives today: Gideon went ahead and did it anyway. Not because he was perfect, no, he did it because he was willing. 

Often, being willing to obey takes more courage than actually doing whatever follows. God works with the willing, not the perfect.

—

You can’t skip the montage, it's a part of the script. Remind yourself that the person who goes in is never the person who comes out, and while it looks like 30 seconds on-screen, or seven verses on a page, no one can know exactly how long it might take in real life. 

It is up to us to remind ourselves that Life is not a microwave; there's no button you can push to warm yourself to the level you want. Life is more like an oven; it takes time.  So don’t lose yourself in the frustration of not being where you want to be. If needed, pin the bigger war, and take a moment to consider the training required beforehand. Have you been so focused on the fight that you forgot how to prepare for it?

Down the line, Gideon is going to need a lot of courage. Fighting an army so much larger than his own takes some bravery and faith. So what does God do? He works with what he’s got, a willing heart. This week, we must walk with the understanding that God isn’t asking us to be perfect; instead, he's whispering in our hearts, gently asking: “Are you willing?”

- Making The Most Of Being Curious

Daniel J. Cuesta

Sources:

The Altar of Baal Story: Judges 6:25–32 

God Honors Obedience Highly: To obey is better than sacrifice.-1 Samuel 15:22

God Doesn't Need Perfection: But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. - 2 Corinthians 12:9