Why God Says You’re a Hero Even If You Don’t Feel Like It
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“The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” (Judges 6:12, NLT)
Have you ever felt like the least likely person to complete a certain task? Maybe you were asked to help your grandma make dinner for Thanksgiving, but you have absolutely no idea how to cook. Or, maybe you were offered a higher position at work, but don’t have the training and credentials people usually need for that job. Maybe you were asked to give a speech for your college, but you’re petrified of public speaking.
No matter the example, I’m sure it’s safe to say we’ve all felt this way, right? And we definitely wouldn’t call ourselves heroes in those moments. But what if God said you were a hero, period. No ifs, ands, buts, or excuses allowed? Would you believe Him? Would you accept His call?
In Judges chapter 6, God calls Gideon to an incredible task. But before this, let’s get a little bit of context: The Israelites had done what was evil in the Lord’s sight over and over again. Because of this, God allowed the Midianites to oppress them for 7 years. As a result, the Midianites stole Israel’s crops and livestock, and they were exhausted. Crying out to God for help, God called Gideon to rebuke His people, but also help them (verses 1-11). Immediately after this call, however, Gideon isn’t so sure he’s the hero who should jump into action.
Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress (vs.11). He was an ordinary man with no special talent or skill. And yet, God chose him. It makes sense then that in this situation, he would ask the Lord, “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian” (vs.13).
What I love about Gideon is that he wasn’t afraid to ask God questions. Even before he responded to God’s call, God told him not to fear (vs.12). It’s as if the Lord already knew he’d question and be afraid, and yet, two things stood out to me: God called Gideon a “mighty hero,” and told him, “The Lord is with you.” He didn’t criticize Gideon for asking questions about how and why this would be possible, but rather gave him the confidence of Christ’s presence.