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September 2002 Table of Contents
Special Feature
Understanding And Confirming Your Call
From Whining to Winning
[Part Four of Four]
By Randall L. Hays, M.D.
Minister of Music and Worship
Bear Creek Baptist Church
Houston, Texas
In the previous three articles of this series, we have studied the call of God upon Gideon to lead the children of Israel out of the hands of the Midianites. We discussed Gideon's attitude and understood that Gideon was called to other responsibilities because he was faithful in his previous responsibility. In the second issue, we examined Gideon's affirmation and were encouraged by God's repeated affirmation of Gideon in the "new thing" that he was called to do. Thirdly, we studied the actions Gideon took and found that he made a commitment to move forward with what God called him to do.
In this last article, we will look briefly at Gideon's acceptance of risk. Moving forward with God always involves accepting risk. Risk is not optional…that is, IF we have made the decision to move forward. In fact, it's been said that the only regrets in life are the risks we do not take. The word risk implies the possibility of danger, injury and loss. Risk is possibly easier for us to understand than it was in the past. From the medical perspective, hardly a day goes by that we are not bombarded with the notion that we take risks by our choices of lifestyle. And, as if that is not enough, the daily volatility of the stock market has reminded us that we face the "possibility of danger, injury and loss" with regard to our finances on a daily basis.
Where risk is concerned, I think there are three kinds of people:
...those who take risks and succeed.
...those who take risks and fail.
...those who do not take risks.
While there are many reasons we do not take risks, they are usually based in some type of response to fear (failure, embarrassment, uncertainty, disappointment, difficulty, rejection, etc.).
When was the last time you really risked something---something significant? Something where there was a price to pay had it not worked or if God did not come through for you. What are the processes we go through when we are asked to take a significant risk? They are probably similar to Gideon's response.
In Judges 6, note four things about Gideon's response before he seemed willing to take the risk:
- First, he questioned God in verse 13.
(..."if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about...")
- Next, he asked for a sign to prove it was God speaking in verse 17.
("If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You...")
- Then, in verse 24, he worshipped.
("So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord...")
- Lastly, we note in verse 27 that he acted...but still with a degree of fear so he acted at night.
("But because he feared his father's household and the men of the city too much to do it by day, he did it by night.")
It is interesting to note that Gideon acted AFTER he had worshipped. Something happens in us that energizes us when we worship. In this case, it appears that after his worship experience, Gideon had the courage to proceed with the risky challenge.
What is risk? Many of us have built homes. A few years ago, a friend and I built a house where I was, on paper, the contractor. As a contractor for the house I had to purchase a builder's risk policy. It was an expensive policy. Why is it expensive? Because there is a possibility that you will come to the end of the construction, and before you move into the home, possibly even the night before, it could burn to the ground and you would lose everything! In this case, the word risk implies that there is a possibility that you could lose it all.
Over and over in this passage, we see Gideon's fear and hesitation to risk. Do you think God was calling Gideon to move beyond his comfort zone? Do you think that is WHY Gideon had to be affirmed and re-affirmed? Do you think Gideon was comfortable doing what he was called to do? (Even when he was obedient in building the altar, he did it AT NIGHT because he was afraid of his father's household.)
Then, even after all of that success, the fleece (not one, but two) and God's affirmation over and over, in verses 10-11 of Chapter 7, God said, "But if you are (still) afraid..." and Gideon actually acted on God's provision of fear rather than going forth in victory based on past affirmation.
Larry Osborne said, "among highly successful leaders, while there is much diversity in style, one trait stands out - the willingness to take risks." He notes that highly successful leaders ignore conventional wisdom and take chances. Their stories inevitably include a defining moment or key decision when they took a significant risk and thereby experienced a breakthrough. Taking risks involves us being out of our comfort zone...just like true worship. It requires a sacrifice on our behalf.
Philippians 4:6 commands us to "be careful for NOTHING!" That is easy to quote but quite a different challenge to live. Do you remember the first time you stepped out and did something you were afraid to do and succeeded? Going to the next level of anything involves risk. We simply must move out of our comfort zones. There is a level of living that is available only to those who take a risk!
In I Chronicles 29:5 we are asked, "...who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the Lord?" Everything looks impossible to those who never try anything. Everything that is a blessing, everything that becomes of great value to us, we attain out of our comfort zones. As leaders, we need to stop constantly checking the wind and throw away the security blanket. May we be found faithful in our attitude, affirmed by God in our quest, taking action when called and accepting of risk for the cause of Christ. If Zaccheus had not taken the risk to climb the tree, he would not have had the opportunity to have lunch with Jesus! We can only move from whining to winning by getting out on the limb and obtaining the fruit God has already placed there for us. May we be found willing and obedient servants when we understand God's call and after He has confirmed that call in our lives.
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