Life Here and There

Gideon is one of my favorite Bible heroes. In my wife’s Bible class curriculum, he’s known as “G. I. Deon!” I especially love the way he’s introduced…

The way Gideon sees himself:

Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
~Judges 6:11

His further questioning of God’s choice of him shows us a heart of humility and self-abasement. There was a lack of courage throughout all the land, and Gideon demonstrated this widespread fear. Everybody lived the part of the oppressed. But look at the way God sees Gideon (and announces accordingly):

And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!
~ Judges 6:12

I wrote in the margin of my Bible next to this verse, “God calls ‘em like HE sees ‘em!” We see God doing this throughout Scripture – God assigning names and titles to people who really don’t seem to fit the part because He sees what they can and will become. While the rest of the world labels us according to external factors, God labels us according to the heart.

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Few historical moments fascinate me more than the storming of the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944. Over 9,000 men died in that assault, but over 100,000 Allied troops were able to penetrate and march across Europe to defeat the Nazi forces. Rarely has history seen such a display of raw courage. I’m thankful for their sacrifice!

Here’s a film produced by the Army to remember that occasion…

To be honest, the title of this post is a misnomer in some respects. Bold leadership sometimes requires we ignore any assessment of cost versus benefit. There are just times when the cost is worth it no matter what, such as when truth or integrity is at stake. At other times, we need to ascertain the damage of a risky decision, such as when a “smart” move might hurt someone we love.

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The title of this post is attention-getting for an obvious reason – most people fear the thought of standing before a group of people and speaking… out loud. I was too, and still am to some degree. When I was a kid, I was painfully and awkwardly shy. In the fifth grade, I had to give an oral report on the life of Will Rogers. I handled it by self-interviewing. I sat in the teacher’s chair and rolled left and right, pretending to be Will Rogers on one side, and something of a Johnny Carson on the other. Did it work? Well I turned red, teared up a bit, and sweated profusely, but I got an “A.” I didn’t have to speak before another audience for about seven years.

Now, I’m a Pastor. I preach three times per week, teach classes, lead Bible studies and small groups, and occasionally speak in a revival or conference. Because of my role, I’ll speak before an audience between 150 and 180 times this year. My church is not large by modern standards, but our Sunday morning crowd often runs about 230 to 250, so there are plenty of potentially intimidating faces to be concerned with.

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