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March 2002 Table of Contents
Special Feature
Understanding and Confirming Your Call
From Whining to Winning
Part Three of Four
By Randall L. Hays, M.D.
Minister of Music and Worship
Bear Creek Baptist Church
Houston, Texas
In this four part series of articles, we continue to examine our call as we study God's activity in Gideon's life. We are organizationally studying four goals.
- Gideon's Attitude - (he was taking action)
- Gideon's Affirmation - (from God)
- Gideon's Actions - (he made a commitment)
- Gideon's Acceptance - (of risk)
In the first issue (Sept/Oct/Nov 2001), we discussed Gideon's attitude. We looked at how our commitment to a call requires faithfulness. We came to understand the need to do what we know to do, when we know to do it and where God last called us to do it. In the second issue (Dec 2001/Jan/Feb 2002), we discussed the second goal...Gideon's affirmation. We were encouraged by God's repeated affirmation of Gideon in the "new thing" that God called him to do. In that study, we looked at the three obstacles of fear, insecurity and faithlessness.
In this article, we will look in more depth at Gideon's response to the challenge God set before him. What is our response when God calls? How do we respond to those situations when we have conquered the fear and insecurity and when we are ready to charge forward in faith? A linebacker who played football for the incredible coach, Vince Lombardi once said, "When Coach Lombardi says sit down, I don't even look for a chair." Certainly, when God calls, it demands a response…a movement from our present circumstance to an action plan that takes us to where God has directed. I am often too guilty of not only looking for a chair, but searching for a recliner! In Judges 6, verse 27, the Bible says "Gideon took ten men from among his servants and did as the Lord had said to him."
It is interesting to note that there was a progressive nature to Gideon's call and subsequent action.
Notice that he was first called. (Judges 6:12,14)
Then, he was given instruction. (Judges 6:25 - 26)
After that, he acted. (Judges 6:27)
Of course there are times when God calls us and demands some action prior to giving full instruction. But His call always involves some type of instruction even if it is as simple as "GO." However, He is faithful to give instruction that requires action. If the story is followed, we see in verse 34 of Chapter 6 "But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon." Then, in verse 35, we see others "gathered behind him." The progression here is that only after Gideon acted did God's anointing follow and then he was able to effectively LEAD others. God's anointing caused others to want to follow Gideon and "gather behind him." So, God wants us ACTIVE so He can bless us with anointing and leadership.
One thing is certain; dreams do not work unless we do! As ministry leaders, movement causes us to realize our decisions, goals and dreams. Most of us have heard the modern day definition of insanity. It is doing the same thing over and over and expecting some different result. Max Depree said it this way, "We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are." The temptation will always be to return to the familiar, secure comfort zone. However, we must stay on the road of obedience if God is to anoint our ministry and cause it to have influence value.
In these verses, Gideon's call to action required him to make a change! If we are going to make a commitment to act on God's will, it will require change! While change has always been and will always be a part of life, it is especially true in church life as it relates to music. We all know too well that no generation has ever preferred the previous generation's music style and preference.
As music ministers and worship leaders, we understand many of the dynamics involved in navigating change in the church. Musical styles, selections, and choices continue to be hotly debated, and sadly divisive, in churches all over the world today. It seems to be the tool most used to cause division in the church. If Satan can subvert our worship by causing argument over style, we are ineffective at the very point of our reason for existence. After that, it is only a matter of time and we will become a statistic with regard to our corporate worship experience. Is it any wonder that, according to a recent poll, 93% of those attending our churches say they do not experience true worship? I believe musical style and the effect that it has on worship is THE predominant issue with regard to effectiveness in many churches today. So, let's look at a few principles with regard to change and its impact upon our ministry.
First of all, change requires movement and movement creates friction…always has, always will. Let's face it; friction brings about stress in our lives. So, change will by nature, create stress. This stress is not the same as anxiety. Stress is a normal and healthy part of life in response to change, a human response, without which little is achieved. Anxiety, in contrast, is foolish and pointless worry about that which you cannot control. You become energized and strengthened by the process of temporary stressful change and the stress becomes replaced by energy and excitement over a sense of accomplishment. (Most of us can relate to the stressful few days before a worship performance, which is replaced by a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment after the opening night.) The above would reasonably allow us to deduct that we, as God called leaders should expect stress! We must CHOOSE a lifestyle of change and change brings stress.
Andre' Gide, a French novelist, once said, "One doesn't discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time." It is stressful to not be able to see the shore and it is easy to lose our perspective on the goal.
As I alluded to in the last lesson, I am also a physician. While in medical school, I worked during the summer breaks for a dermatologist. We became casual friends as well as co-workers. While I am not an avid sportsman, I enjoy fishing when given the opportunity. One Wednesday afternoon (all of us know every doctor takes Wednesday afternoons off), we went fishing together. We arrived at the lake, took the aluminum boat out of his truck, put it in the water and proceeded to load it with all of our gear. After we had completed that task, we began to attempt to push the boat into the water in order to start the motor and prepare to launch. After about one hour in the hot Louisiana summertime of pulling, pushing and doing everything we knew to get the boat into the water, we realized that, earlier, we had tied the boat to the back of his truck. Imagine how relieved we were to realize that the Candid Camera film crew was nowhere to be found. Here we were, two reasonably intelligent "doctors" attempting to launch a boat that was tied to a truck! And, not just for several minutes, but for ONE SOLID HOUR! We were exhausted, hot, tired, mad and certainly in no mood to fish which was our sole purpose for the afternoon.
Many of our ministries are like that boat. And, many of us, as "captains of the ship" are like my doctor friend and me. Because we have not made the necessary changes required to lose sight of the shore, we are stuck, frustrated, exhausted, lifeless and ineffective. As leaders, we must take the action necessary to make changes that mobilize our ministry.
Secondly, we must understand that if we do not change, the people we are called to lead will not change. The first responsibility of a call is to be willing to accept the change. If we will not change ourselves, God will not use us to change our people. If Gideon, as the called-out leader, had been unwilling to take the action required for the destruction of the altar of Baal and the construction of the altar of the Lord, the entire plan of God to deliver the children of Israel would have been subverted. What is there in your life and/or ministry that God is waiting for you to act upon in order for Him to be able to bless the people you are called to lead?
A few years ago, God was clear to point out to me that I had been placed in a leadership role for a purpose and to give direction to that ministry. Most have been in services where some well-intentioned saint of God is called upon (or calls upon themselves) to give a testimony. I felt so secure with those I had chosen to share in a particular worship presentation that I gave them no direction. Consequently, one of the three people whom I had asked decided to use that platform for a thirty-minute explanation of every medical problem they had ever encountered. It literally ruined an otherwise well prepared and prayed over worship endeavor. Afterward, God reminded me of my carelessness in taking no action, as a leader, to define parameters for that moment. We are called to leadership for the purpose of responsibility for change. We must provide direction for change with accountability to God. Going on with God in obedience requires change that is not optional. It is an ongoing part of the lifestyle of a leader called by God.
Thank God for the example Gideon set for us. Despite his fear, insecurity, and initial faithlessness, he chose a lifestyle of change that God used to deliver the Israelites from their bondage. Maybe God is waiting for you and me to "step to the plate" of change. Possibly there is some great thing He wants to accomplish through us as we yield to His ability to change us and thus, to change the people we lead. May Gideon's example cause all of us to be willing to accept the movement, friction, stress and subsequent dramatic results that change will bring. After all, Jesus was the greatest "change agent" that ever lived.
In the last article of this series, we will look at the risk Gideon was willing to take to accomplish God's purpose in his life. It has been said, "the only regrets in life are the risks you do not take." Think about that and we will examine that topic in the next issue of The Communicator.
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