It's Not About You

Driving home from the mountains yesterday I was listening to Charles Stanley teach on trusting God against all odds. The lesson came from the Book of Judges and the account of Gideon.

God told him he would lead the woefully outnumbered Israelites to victory over the Midianites. But before the battle, the Lord made ample allowance for His glory. He systematically whittled Gideon’s already thin army down to a mere 300 men, creating 450-1 odds. Impossible. For men.

I’ve learned this is how God operates. He does His greatest work — and receives His greatest glory —in the lives of the reduced, the inadequate, the humbled and the broken. He delights to box us in, pin us against the wall, leave us with nowhere to look but up. He is the cosmic kicker of crutches, taking down every ounce of self-reliance (and, thankfully, using our most profound failings) to show us “it’s not who you are, it’s who I AM.”

Some years ago I suffered a crushing season of defeat I would never have imagined. I failed at everything — miserably … my relationships, my job, my plans, my attempts to connect to God and understand where He was in the midst of it all. I lost all hope because I had placed hope in myself. All I had relied on to live this life was instantly meaningless.

But I learned a painful and profound truth I likely couldn’t have learned any other way.

When I live in the naïve confidence of my own strength, I’m not only deceived but destined for a rude awakening. Yet, if I spent my time thinking about all that I’m not, how I’ve fallen short, what I haven’t achieved, mourning over past failures, irretrievable decisions and things irreconcilably lost, I’d become overwhelmed, and equally worthless to God’s purposes in my life and to everyone else.

Our loving Father meets us at both ends. We find our true identity and worthiness when we see past ourselves to Him — the only One who knows and loves us unconditionally. And His strength is exhibited in us to the degree that we are helpless … like Gideon and his 300 leftovers. Consequently, God took them, some trumpets, torches and clay pitchers and defeated 135,000 of His enemies.

(Addendum) More strength manifest in weakness

No sooner had I hit the button on this post than I got a notification on Facebook that a friend of mine, Kyle Thomas, has released his first CD, entitled "Not Alone." To say that God had more to illustrate on this topic would be an understatement. WOW!

Kyle had his first contact with our church when he saw the lighted cross on our sanctuary from the window of his room ... in the county jail where he was locked up across the street. Having been addicted to alcohol and drugs, he ran into trouble with the law (and later, probation), and was in and out of rehab and jail through a revolving door. Besides his freedom, Kyle's addiction cost him the trust of others — particularly his wife — many jobs, his home, and the incalculable value of his identity and purpose. When he hit rock bottom, he had nothing left ... except the amazing voice God gave Him.

One of our pastors took Kyle under his wing. He discipled him, helped him get on his feet financially and find work, involved him in accountability and with the worship ministry. And he did one thing that meant more to Kyle than anything else: he believed in him and restored his hope. He told Kyle these words ... "You've just lost your song, that's all."

Well, the Lord has given it back to him in spades — sweeter and stronger than ever. Praise God!

To learn more about what Kyle's doing with his life now, go to http://www.kylethomasministry.com/