Observation: Gideon is not sure if he is the guy God has chosen to deliver the Israelites from the invading Midianites and Amalekites. So he asks God to give him a sign: If he lays a fleece on the threshing floor overnight, and there's dew just on the fleece, then God must be calling him to lead the Israelites. Okay. No sweat. God does just that. But Gideon's still a little unsure...so what if God were to leave dew all over the ground, and have the fleece be dry as a bone? What are the chances of that happening, right? Oh...turns out God can do that too. It's pretty clear God is calling Gideon. Now it's less a matter of whether he's the guy for the job, and more a question of whether he feels ready and willing to do it.
Application: I was born in 1981, which puts me in that weird no-man's-land between "Gen X" and "Millennials." But as pop psychology will readily tell you, both groups have one thing in common: we are huge commitment-phobes. We have grown up with options. Cable TV, the internet, changing social norms, motivational "you can do anything" self-esteem culture, and half a dozen other factors have combined to create an environment where we are surrounded by multiple-choice questions. What is your ideal career? Where do you want to live? Who is your ideal partner? Get married, or move in first? It's a sea of options.
Psychologists have actually proven, however, that having lots of choices actually makes you less happy than having fewer. In fact, there have been interesting studies done about "manufactured happiness"--essentially proving that people who had no choice in how their situation played out, even if that situation involved difficulties and challenges, were better able to make peace with that situation than those who could have chosen differently, and are haunted by regret.
Like Gideon, so often when I'm weighing a big decision, I feel like I need half a dozen demonstrable, big signs from God. I want flashing, neon "GO THERE, DO THIS" signs. I want a notarized letter from the Father, stamped by the Son, delivered by the Holy Spirit. But here's the thing...
I no longer believe God is willing to play those games with us.
I think we make an idol out of certainty, and we too often spin our wheels until a path forward is 100% clear. God has, of course, created each of us a certain way, with certain gifts and personality traits, and not others. Naturally, some choices will work out better than others in terms of our fulfilling God's purpose for us. But--and this is so, so important--God does not have one single iron-clad blueprint for every detail of our lives, which we can either follow or face terrible misery. God has given us choices. God is behind doors number one, two, and three in any decision we make, ready to walk with us down whatever hallway we choose to take. Increasingly, I hear the Spirit's voice saying, "Hey, Tim, I am not going to tell you what to do. I'm just not. But I am going to equip you for the journey. Take some responsibility. Make a decision and commit your whole self to it. Do or do not. There is no try."
Prayer: Dear God, I pray for all who face uncertainty today. Dwell with them in it. Give them courage to make a choice, to do something with their whole heart and mind, with the trust that you are there with them. Amen.
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