Are You a Gideon-ite?

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  (2 Cor. 12:9)

Don't you love Gideon? His honesty about how he saw himself and why he believed God picked the wrong man is refreshing. Can you relate to him? Have you noticed that whenever God calls someone to do something, they tend to point out the weaknesses that disqualify them for the task? Do you tend to do that? I think we all default to that way of thinking. After all, this is GOD  calling us.  When the Almighty is calling you for duty, you'd better have yourself together, right? But wait, isn't God the One who knows everything? (The answer is yes) So if He knows everything, then He has to know your weaknesses when He calls you.

 Hmm…

 Could it be that He calls you because of your weakness and not in spite of it? God wants to use your life to glorify Him. Sometimes He gets more glory through your weakness than your strength .

 

I remember the dental van coming to my public elementary school once a year when I was child. They would always show a film about proper dental care and send us home with a new toothbrush and some pink tablets that dissolved in our mouth.  The pills were the most fun part because after brushing, we sucked on the tablets  to see where we missed brushing. The goal was to have no pink showing, but as kids, we took delight in seeing how pink our teeth and tongue turned. Could it be that when your heavenly daddy decides how he wants to be glorified in your life, He looks for the pink spots where your weakness is most pronounced? You see your pink spots as reasons God should choose someone else, but God sees those same flaws as places to apply His grace and bring glory to Himself.   He applies His power in those places, and it becomes obvious He is the one doing great things through you.

The apostle Paul declared that because Christ's power would rest on him, he would rather boast in his weakness.  I know it's kind of uncomfortable to think of your weakness in this way. You'd rather it was not there. But since it is a part of your beautiful yet imperfect self, why not let God re-purpose it? Take relief in knowing God does not need your perfection to call you to do something significant.

 

 Read about what God did through Gideon, the youngest family member of the smallest tribe(Judges 7). Wouldn't it be exciting if God used you in a great way too? Your imperfections don't disqualify you, they make you a prime candidate for God to be in the spotlight. In a way, they make you a Gideon-ite. Embrace your inner Gideon, Dear Sister! Sometimes it's not your strengths but the pink spots on your resume' that incite God to call you up for service.

 Talk About It

What weakness comes to mind most often when you tell yourself someone else would be a better choice?