Finding Strength When You Have None

The Lord turned to him (Gideon) and said, “Go with the strength you have.”

~Judges chapter 6, verse 14, 

  the Bible (NAB)

Recently I've been struggling with stepping out in a new direction for my life.  Somehow I think that turning 39 tomorrow disqualifies me from starting a career writing.   

My best qualifications weren’t earned in a university or on the floor working at a major publisher or magazine.  

How exactly am I to find the strength to step in a new direction when I have none?

Hard to believe five bio children and an adoption of a teen from foster care are good for a biography.  Add “breast cancer and heart failure survivor in my 30s” to my resume.  Professional qualifications for sure.

During the Asheville Christian Writer’s Conference one of the speakers, Vonda Skelton, spoke on stepping out when God calls you in a new direction.  Many times when people speak of Gideon from the Bible book of Judges it’s to mock him for cowardice.  Vonda had a different persective.

She opened Gideon’s story with his history.  He lived during hard times; he had a hard life.  It wasn’t as if his family, indeed the entire people of Israel where hiding for nothing.  When the Midianites would come through they would raze everything, “They (the Midianites) came into the land to lay it waste. (Judges 6:5 NAB)”

When an angel from God came to talk with Gideon he was hiding for a good reason.  Starvation is a powerful motivator and Gideon was threshing his family’s wheat.  He had every reason to fear.  The entire nation of Israel could not find the strength to defeat Midian.

The angel greeted Gideon not with, “God is with you, mighty farmer!”  Or if God liked Gideon so much, “You rock, amazing thresher of wheat!”

But, “God is with you, mighty warrior,” or in some translations, “O Champion!” 

 

Uh, sorry?

It isn’t somehow shocking Gideon is confused.  To whom exactly is the angel talking?  It’s not self-effacing for Gideon to say, “Yeah, not so much.  My family aren’t warriors and I’m the weakest member of my family.  Are you sure you have the right guy?”

Angelic suggestions aside, what was God thinking asking me to write?  If you find me at home during the day I have good reason to be there.  Hello, 5 children with one (adoption) on the way.  I’m not hiding.  Exactly.

It’s just that I don’t feel up for the task.  Oh sure, I love to write.  And yeah, I get really passionate about helping people.

But really, God, why aren’t you calling someone more qualified?  Someone stronger.  More put together.

But, “The Lord turned to him (Gideon) and said, ‘Go with the strength you have…It is I who send you.’”

Go with the strength I have.  

God sees me.  God sees that I have a weak heart and extensive scars from cancer.  God sees my life at home with the kids.  Jesus isn’t calling me out so I fall flat on my face.  

Jesus is calling me in love to step out of my comfort zone.  I know health issues and big family and laundry.  The world of writing?  Not so much.

God is okay with my weakness.  More than that, Jesus wants to use my weaknesses to show the world that he loves them.  In my weakness God is strong.  

Ask God for help when you are afraid.  Fear is a powerful motivator.  Courage can be hard to find.  The phrase “take courage” or “take heart” means we have to grab ahold of it.  Let anxiety bubble up so those bubbles can burst in the presence of Jesus who loves us while we are still a mess.

Let God call you out into an unknown adventure.  Go in the strength you have and let God handle the rest.

Where is God calling you to step out of your comfort zone?