The Monday Memo from John Stanko

786 - Sins of Omission

Last week, I was a guest lecturer in a class on Leadership Ethics. We looked at many verses in Proverbs that relate to ethical business and leadership practices. One of those verses is Proverbs 18:9, which states, "One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys." The students correctly saw the truth in this verse: Someone who does not do something that is within their power to do is related to someone who would destroy what someone else has done. In either case, the good thing doesn't exist due to neglect or vandalism.

SINS OF OMISSION

If you had book that you wrote on your computer, but did not back it up, and I took your computer and threw it down a flight of stairs, that would be a criminal act, and your book would probably be lost. You would think I am not a very nice person. But if you had a book "in your heart," but did not write it, would you think you are not a very nice person? Probably not. Yet the Proverb's verse is clear: You would be in the same category as the one who threw your computer down the stairs.

Our class discussion drifted into a concept in Catholic theology called "sins of omission." Here is what Wikipedia has to say about that concept:

In Catholic teaching an omission is a failure to do something one can and ought to do. If this happens deliberately and freely, it is considered a sin. The degree of guilt incurred by an omission is measured, like that attaching to sins of commission, by the dignity of the virtue and the magnitude of the precept to which the omission is opposed, as well as the amount of deliberation.

The article went on to say this:

A person may be guilty of a sin of omission if he fails to do something which he is able to do and which he ought to do because he has put himself into a state or situation whereby he is unable to complete the action. For example, if a person chooses to become inebriated and is therefore unable to perform a necessary task, that person is responsible for that failure, even though that person is physically unable to perform the task because he or she knowingly put themselves into a state (drunkenness) where accomplishing the task was impossible.

This last point is an interesting one, for if you create or collude with a "crazy" situation in your life that prevents you from doing the good you are capable of doing, then you would be guilty of this "sin." "Oh, I just could not think of going to school until my mortgage is paid off," but you could sell the house, and live smaller while you go to school. "I would write but I have no space that I can call my own." You could rent a small office unit where you would have the peace and quiet.

"Oh, I have to help out with my niece, nephew, grandchildren, neighbor's dog, or church's conference, and could not possibly do any more right now." Perhaps you need to say "no" to something so you can say "yes" to something else. "This election or economy or holiday season has me stressed, and I just can't think straight." You answer how you should respond to that last one.

WHAT TO DO?

I am not suggesting that you have contrived your current life circumstances so you won't have to do what you are called to do. I am suggesting, however, it's possible that some of the dysfunction holding you back is your defense mechanism to keep you from being accountable for your assigned work. In other words, you are hiding behind the mess, throwing up your hands and declaring, "I am not responsible! I can't possible do it right now." That may be true, but then again, it may not.

I don't want to be guilty of a sin of omission, so I am always looking for ways to do what is in my heart to do. I will allow God to shut those ideas down, and not allow them to die because of my lack of action. What about you? Are you ready to take sins of omission (sins related to what you don't do) as seriously as sins of commission (sins that stem from what you do)? If you are, then it's time to examine your life, reduce or eliminate the crazy-makers, and step to the plate and take your turn. Have a blessed week!

785 - Energy Conservation

I once read that Winston Churchill was famous for working from his bed during daylight for as long as possible. He also took a nap every day. He worked from bed for one reason: He wanted to conserve his energy. I suppose he meant his physical energy, but I also wonder if it wasn't an attempt to conserve his emotional energy as well. Staying in bed would enable him not to have interactions with others or to participate in meetings. He could control his schedule and what he devoted his energy to for as long as possible.

I also try to conserve my energy by not committing my heart or creative energies to activities that drain me and don't replace what they usurp. For example, I pretty much stopped watching the local football team on TV because I know how I am. If they win, I'm okay, but if they lose and lose badly, then I am no good for the rest of the day. I know my boundaries and what I have to do to direct my energy to those projects that God has assigned me to do.

The same was true for the recent American election. I voted as a good citizen should, but I did not devote much energy to the election itself. I did not watch the debates, did not make one post on any social media about anything political, and read as few of others' entries as possible. Was that because I didn't care? Absolutely not! I know my boundaries, so it was better for me to conserve my creative energy and direct it to other activities.

What kind of activities?

I finished editing the third volume of my New Testament commentary series entitled Live the Word. I also worked on about a dozen other books for my publishing company. I made a trip to Kenya in October, and I am teaching three classes, two undergraduate and one online graduate course. Those courses require a lot of "me," but if I give myself away to other causes, i cannot do what God wants me to do.

If there is a verse that goes with this philosophy, it would be Proverbs 4:23: "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." I have to guard my heart if I am going to be productive and that means I cannot fret and fume over situations not to my liking. That makes me think of another passage that states, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7). I need God's peace to guard my heart so I can give Him my best and not the leftovers after I am wrung out and drained over some societal or entertainment issue.

I am not writing against being involved in or watching football, politics, movies, social causes, or business. I know myself, however, and I must  be careful. People regularly ask me, "How do you do all that you do?" Part of the answer is that I protect my heart and try not to react to opinions or trends around me that will certainly debilitate me.

So, what have you given your heart to that isn't in your best interests of those of your God-given purpose? What could you do with the emotional and creativity energy that is being siphoned off to family drama, soccer standings, or the irrationality of the people around you. I encourage you to be like Winston Churchill and conserve your energy for those things that only you can do, and leave the distractions to someone else. As you do, you will find yourself happier, or at least not as drained when those things to which you give your heart don't go your way. Have a blessed week!

780 - A Spiritual Hammer

Many years ago, I showed up at a church for a Saturday work and cleanup day. Somehow, I ended up spending the morning taking the plaster off the basement ceiling so it could be repaired and re-plastered. The supervisor had me stand on a scaffold, where I held a hammer and hit the ceiling with the side of the hammer. I did this again and again, and it was not bad work because I could see the results of my labor as I watched the entire ceiling come down blow by hammer blow.

The scaffolding did not have to be moved so I just walked across the length and width of the basement, smashing away. The plaster fell all over the place, and I had a mask on because the dust was thick. When I finished, I tried to put down the hammer, but I could not. I had swung the hammer so many times that my hand was frozen to the shape of the hammer handle! What's more, when I did pry the hammer out of my hand, my hand remained in the same shape just as if the hammer was still there!

That experience helped me understand a passage that described one of King David's mighty men named Eleazar:

Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty warriors, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim for battle. Then the Israelites retreated, but Eleazar stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead (2 Samuel 23:9-10).

WHAT'S THE POINT?

Why am I telling you this story? I tell you because we often underestimate the level of commitment that is required when we have to engage in spiritual warfare. God has given promises for healing, provision, meaningful work, healthy relationships, and fruitfulness. We can easily think those things will appear because we say, "In the name of Jesus!" The truth is that they will not.

There are times when we will have to cling to our spiritual hammers and strike blow after blow after blow against the forces that stand between us and the fulfillment of God's promise. Yes, there are times when our spiritual hands will actually freeze around the promise of God that we must use as a weapon to bring down the plaster-like resistance encrusted around God's provision and protection.

Have you given up on God's promise for you because you misunderstood the nature and intensity of what you would have to do to obtain it? Has you spiritual hand frozen to your prayer, praise, and faith life? If the answer to those questions is "yes," then be encouraged. Victory may be just a few more swings away! Don't give up and don't give in.

God is not playing hard-to-get as He requires you to struggle for what He has already provided. He wants you to appreciate even more what you receive, because you value what you pay a high price to obtain. This week, I encourage you to pick up your spiritual hammer once more and begin to swing away at the promise of God for you life. As you do, I know each swing will bring you closer to the fulfillment of God's blessing on your life. If I can encourage you as you swing your hammer, please let me know!

779 - Fight Like a Deer

The last two weeks, we have looked at several references to deer in the Old Testament, and looked at their characteristics that were to be part of a believer's faith repertoire. The first reference was about speed and agility as we carry out our God-assigned purpose. The second was about thirsting for the Lord as a deer would thirst for water, requiring a drink regularly to replenish supplies due to an active lifestyle. This week, we will look at our third reference found in both 2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18, and that reference is to the deer as a fighter. You didn't know that deer fight? Well, then consider yourself about to be educated on the subject.

TRAINED FOR WAR

Psalm 18 is actually first found in its entirety in 2 Samuel 22, where this introduction is included: "David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul" (2 Samuel 22:1). The same heading in the Psalm 18 heading. The context for the deer reference in this psalm is found in verses 32 to 36:

It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You make your saving help my shield, and your right hand sustains me; your help has made me great. You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way.

I exaggerated a bit in my opening paragraph, for deer are not known for their fighting. David used the simile of a deer to describe his sure-footed ways in battle, a situation in which you do not want to stumble and fall so your enemy can take advantage of your low position. Just like David, God wants you and I to battle, but our battle takes place first and foremost in our minds. Paul wrote,

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

A MIND WAR

When you have a thought, you can dwell on that thought until it becomes so embedded that is a way of life for you, something from which you will not deviate or even listen to something that seems to contradict it. Let's use a common saying that isn't quite true, but sounds true: "God helps those who help themselves." When people believe that, it can become such a stronghold that they refuse to allow God to do anything for them, choosing instead to do it for themselves. The same can be true for a false doctrine like Islam or Scientology. Once that doctrine gets a hold in the mind, it can become a stronghold and must be removed forcibly.

You have some thoughts that are holding you back in pursuing your purpose. You may have a stronghold that you don't travel well, and as a result, you don't travel at all. You may have a stronghold that you are too old to learn or too young to be used by God, and as a result you don't read or try to fulfill your purpose. The point of all this is that you are to be as active and energetic as a deer in fighting the thoughts that are holding you back, and replacing them with thoughts that will serve God's purpose in your life.

Your mind is the main battleground that will either empower or hinder you from effectively serving the Lord. It's time that you stopped accepting your business-as-usual thinking, and challenged your thoughts to see if they are conducive to action and consistent with God's standards. If they are not, then God expects you, will empower and sustain you, to fight with the strength, grace, and speed of a deer. Then and only then, will you be able to achieve the great things that God has in mind for you that your own mind can either enhance or oppose. Have a blessed week!

768 - Fear Review

I received two emails from people who are considering enlisting my services as a writing coach. Both emails were filled with fear as the people shared their fear of writing about themselves (fear of pride), of paying for the services (fear that God will not provide), and of whether their material was good enough to publish (fear of failure and inadequacy). One email talked about how it took all week to follow up on our initial correspondence due to "cold feet."

I have written in the past that the creative process is fraught with fear from beginning to end, and my experience of working with creative people the last two years has done nothing to change that conclusion. I am no longer surprised when I find fear in my own life, but instead I go looking for it, sort of like conducting a search-and-destroy military mission. I know my enemy is in there somewhere; I just have to find out where in my thinking my fear and shame are hidden and camouflaged.

Why are we so riddled with fear? There is a biblical answer and it's found in Genesis 3:7-10:

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

Adam and Eve were afraid and ashamed of being exposed, so they hid from God. It's ludicrous for them to think they could hide from God, but they tried, and you and I try to hide as well. Adam and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves - flimsy coverings that would wither and die in a day or two - but we use flimsy excuses to hide our fear and shame. Those excuses sound quite rational, but they are nothing but fig leaves in our minds to mask the terror we face when we consider doing something creative or new.

You may be nodding your head in agreement as you read this Memo. Yet, you can be in agreement and still be steeped in and paralyzed by your own fears, denying their existence. Or perhaps you have learned to manage your fears by sticking to the beaten path of life, careful not to veer off into the jungle of the unknown, where you have never been before. Until you take that path less trodden, you won't have to face or even be conscious of your fears. What's more, if you can wrap your fear in spiritual-sounding excuses, phrases like, "It's not the right season," or "The Lord hasn't released me," or "I am waiting on a confirmation," then you can comfortably learn to live with your fear, convinced that it is God's will that you be content with your daily routine, medicating your mind with thoughts of what you will do "one day."

My dear friends, this is the day that the Lord has made. You are not guaranteed tomorrow, so I urge you to face your fears today and move forward. We are children of Adam and Eve, and we all must take steps to emerge from the bushes of fear and shame so we can show forth the fullness of the glory that is ours in Christ. If we don't take those steps, then we will live a life far below what God had in mind when He sent Jesus to die for our sins. The choice is yours: How will you choose to live today?

766 - Cancer

I noticed a spot on my right arm a few months ago that did not look "right." I showed it to my doctor during my annual visit, who referred me to a dermatologist. When they did a biopsy, it showed up as skin cancer, although it was the size of a pin prick. They immediately did a test of the area around the infected portion, and found no trace of any more cancer cells, so I have only a four-inch scar on my right arm to show for the experience. I have that, plus a more resolute will to make the most of my remaining days.

My small encounter with the "big C" caused me to reflect on some of my life-defining verses from the Bible, such as:

• “Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is" (Psalm 39:4).
• "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12).
• "My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies,from those who pursue me" (Psalm 31:5).

I don't know what the future holds for me - how many days I have left or what condition I will be in during those days. My faith and hope are strong in the Lord, but as the psalmist wrote, my times are indeed in His hands. If I am going to publish all my New Testament Bible studies, the time is now. If I am going to leave a legacy of purpose, the time to do that is now. If I am going to visit Ukraine, the home of my family's past, the time is now. If I am going to help others write their books and stories, the time is now.

One of the earliest songs I learned when I became a believer is "This is the Day." This is indeed the day to do what God has created me to do, not waiting for ideal circumstances. This is the day to love, to write, to travel, to encourage, to create, to minister, to teach, and to live. God gave me a scar to remind me of my own mortality and limitations, and to remind me to thank Him each day for the gift that it is.

What about you? If you are going to take the missions trip, plan it today. If you are going to write the book, start it today and write every day until it's finished. If you are going to take a family trip, take it today. If you are going to earn the degree, start it today. Stephen Covey suggested that you write your own funeral eulogy right now, and then realize if that's how you want to be remembered, you must begin doing and being those things today so you will create the memories for tomorrow.

I thank God that I found what I did when I did, and that it wasn't larger. I thank God that I have another day to do His will. I invite you to join me on this magnificent journey called life, as together we make the most of the days we have,so that we will all eventually hear those words we long to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant." If I can help you on your journey in any way, let me know. Have a blessed week!

*****

KENYA UPDATE: Here is the latest update on the crisis at Upako in Kenya. Read it and then give as you are led, using the special link through PayPal or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882. Thank you!

759 - How Many Pharaohs Do You Work For?

In last week's post, I mentioned Pharaoh and it made me think of something I have not written about for a while. This week, I want you to reflect on the fact that you may work for two Pharaohs, one who is over you at work and one who is over your heart. If you want to know more about those two and how they impact your life and purpose, you will have to read on.

THE PHARAOH WITHOUT

There are two Egyptian Pharaohs that get attention in the Bible. Joseph was the contemporary of one and Moses the other. I have done some study and writing on the good Pharaoh who ruled over Joseph and that can be found on my website. For now, we want to look at the bad Pharaoh, the one whose stubbornness brought the plagues upon his people and affected his nation's effectiveness for centuries after his rule.

What was this bad Pharaoh like? He was consumed with working and building, along the way amassing wealth and using people to get that wealth. He was a hard taskmaster and drove the people and his overseers, not allowing any off days or seasons of rest. When Moses confronted him, Pharaoh got even more ornery, ordering that the Israelites to make bricks and gather their own straw, the straw having been provided for them previously. He was suspicious of anyone or anything that infringed on his man focus, which was production.

Perhaps you have worked for a Pharaoh like this. There is no joy in working for or with this kind of manager or leader. They see you as a means to production, nothing more, nothing less. It is easy to dislike this kind of leader, but often what can you do? You must work to feed your family and besides, work isn't something really to enjoy. It's often only something to endure, which leads us to our discussion of the Pharaoh within.

THE PHARAOH WITHIN

When you "buy into" Pharaoh's attitude, even if you aren't in leadership, then you are working for a Pharaoh. Your thinking says, "I need to work. It's not something that I should expect to enjoy. I should just do it and look for fulfillment outside of my place of employment." That is what it means to have a Pharaoh within - you are your own Pharaoh-like taskmaster, driving yourself harder and harder, never enjoying your work and pushing yourself through the boredom and drudgery of your current position.

When I coach people one-on-one, I ask them what they would do if they had all the money they needed. Many struggle with the question for a while, not having a ready answer. Then I urge them to ask me. When they do, I respond, "I would do what I'm doing today, except that I'd fly business class more often!" About twelve years ago, I stopped being driven by a false concept that my work is to be endured and not enjoyed. I faced my Pharaoh within and fired him! Now I work for the Lord, who ordered Pharaoh to "let my people go."

If you work for a Pharaoh without, there may not be much you can do as long as you stay where you are. But if you work for a Pharaoh within, then there is something you can do. You can change the way you view work and purpose. It is possible to enjoy what you do; in fact it's the will of God for you!  Once you embrace that truth, it will cause you to pursue different things to do, different things than you are doing now. You will give yourself permission to pursue what you enjoy. When you are free from the Pharaoh within, you can be a person of purpose on and off the job. Believe me when I say that it's a great way to live.

If I were you, I would assess how many Pharaohs there are in your life right now. I would suggest that even one is too many! Determine this week to at least face the truth and, if one of those Pharaohs is inside you, to confront and deal with him. Don't let him bully you an longer, but instead, determine to free yourself so that you can pursue the will of the Lord, the will that says you are free. Have a great week!

753 - A Timely Miracle

Are you in a battle for time? Do you have more to do than you have time to accomplish? Let's continue with our study of Joshua, which we began prior to Easter. Joshua trusted the Lord for a significant miracle that involved time, so let's direct our attention there and see what you can learn to help with your battle for time in the days ahead.

A PRAYER OF FAITH

As you learn to have faith for money, business and ministry to fulfill your purpose, it’s important that you also learn to have faith for time. Like you, Joshua had much to do as he fulfilled his purpose to pursue and battle Israel’s enemies.The only way he was going to finish was to have faith for more time. His faith caused him to pray an unusual prayer:

On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel: "O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon." So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a man. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!(Joshua 10:12-14). 

Joshua asked for the sun and moon to alter their normal courses and God answered his prayer! Joshua got creative and prayed a prayer of faith. God answered Joshua’s prayer and gave him enough daylight to finish the job he had before him.

A TIMELY MIRACLE

This is an unusual story, but it embodies an important principle where time is concerned: God can help you have the time you need to finish what you need to finish. Armed with that knowledge, can you then believe God for the time you need? This is important, because you put off important things when you don’t believe you have enough time to fit them in or do them well. 

This week, I am determined to have faith for time, to finish all the critical things that are before me. I’m not going to fret, but I am going to keep my priorities in order. That means I will pray, read, write and take time to do long-term projects. Because I believe God can give me time, I can exercise, study or do the other things that I’ve previously said I don’t have time to do.

When you say, “I don’t have enough time,” you are making a statement of unfaith. The truth is, you have all the time there is—twenty-four hours a day. God is still able to take limited resources and make them adequate, and He can do the same for those twenty-four hours. Therefore, why not believe God for a time miracle this week?  And how will you walk out this miracle?  You will express your faith for time by doing something that is important for you to do, whether you think you have time to do it or not. I invite you to join me this week as together we follow Joshua's example to have faith for a timely miracle. Have a great week.

    Feel free to post your comment to this Memo on the site where it is located.

747 - Your Greatest Fear

Do you enjoy criticism?  I don't know too many who do, but it can sometimes be an important part of your development. If you can't handle criticism and misunderstanding, then you won't go very far in your purpose quest. As we wrap up our study of Gideon this week, let's look at the criticism he received and see what you can learn.

SUCCESS BRINGS CRITICISM

When Gideon had won a great battle over the Midianites, some of his allies confronted him after his victory: "Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon, 'Why have you treated us like this? Why didn't you call us when you went to fight Midian?' And they criticized him sharply" (Judges 8:1).

This is similar to a time when David was sharply criticized when his men's families were taken captive: "David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters" (1 Samuel 30:6a). After all David and Gideon had done, they had their critics, and you will have yours, too. With that in mind, you have three options of how to handle your inevitable critics.

HOW TO DEAL WITH IT

First, you can become defensive, spending a lot of time and energy explaining why you did what you did. What's more, you can determine never to do much of anything again because the effort is too painful if it results in criticism. I would not recommend this first option.

Second, you can do what Gideon did:

But he answered them, "What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren't the gleanings of Ephraim's grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer? God gave Oreb and Zeeb, the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?" At this, their resentment against him subsided (Judges 8:2-3). 

Gideon answered diplomatically and softly. He helped his critics see that their perspective was askew and that they were also an important part of what had just happened. Gideon showed great restraint and wisdom, for he knew that leaders will be criticized, so he deflected it and won his critics over with a gentle, non-defensive answer.

Third, you can do what David did: "But David found strength in the Lord his God" (1 Samuel 30:6b). David did not react or respond.  He took some time to regain his perspective and he did that by going to the Lord. The Lord spoke to David and he returned to lead the very men who had threatened to stone him. What's more, he led them to victory.

I once thought that fear of failure was the greatest hindrance the people of God face. I now consider fear of criticism to be the number one obstacle to obedience. Since criticism is inevitable, it is vital that you develop strategies to deal with it and still remain focused and purposeful. That is what Gideon and David did and if they did it, with God's help, you can, too. Have a great week! 

745 - Lessons in Courage

Has fear ever prevented you from doing something you wanted to do? Has fear been an excuse not to do something that you needed to do? If you are human, then the answer to both those questions is a resounding "Yes!" Yet you may be waiting for an absence of fear before you act and that will never happen. You need to learn to function in the midst of fear if you are to be a person of purpose. Let's go back to Gideon's life  this week to see how he handled his fear to become a hero of the faith.

HIDING OUT

When we first meet Gideon, he is hiding from the Midianites, trying to eke out some food for his family in the midst of their oppression:

The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior" (Judges 6:11-12).

God identified Gideon as a mighty warrior, yet Gideon saw himself as a poor farmer who was working for minimum wages.  The first lesson in how to deal with fear is:  You can't always trust the perspective you have of yourself.  The way out of that problem is to learn to trust what someone else sees in you, such as a friend, mentor or coach. 

Then Gideon uttered the standard complaint when confronted with a seemingly impossible task: "But Lord," Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family."The Lord answered, "I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together" (Judges 6:15-16). The second lesson is to remember that you are not alone. You and God constitute a majority no matter how many people oppose you. 

NIGHT TIME RAID

So then God gave Gideon his first assignment to tear down his father's altars to a false god. Gideon obeyed, but notice how he did it: "So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town, he did it at night rather than in the daytime" (Judges 6:27).

Gideon did what he had to do, but he did in a way that worked for him. He went at night because he was afraid. The important thing, however, is that he obeyed. That is the third lesson:  He acted even though he was afraid. He didn't wait for his fears to go away; Gideon did the best he could to obey the Lord and God helped him.

This leads me to ask you the questions: What are you afraid of?  What is hindering you from moving forward to fulfill your dreams and purpose?  What can you learn from Gideon that can help you this week to do something, even if it's at night or in a way that is less than noble? The important thing is that you learn how to act even though you may be afraid, for fear is not a good excuse to disobey what God has put in your heart to do. Take courage this week and see what you can do in spite of your fears.