Follow God's Directions
Then the people of Ephraim asked Gideon, “Why have you treated us this way? Why didn’t you send for us when you first went out to fight the Midianites?” And they argued heatedly with Gideon. -- Judges 8:1
No matter what you do in this life, someone is going to criticize you. It doesn’t matter how wonderful the conclusion. It doesn’t matter how much effort you put in to achieving your goal. It doesn’t matter that God called you to do it and gave you victory. Nope. Someone is going to be upset.
That’s what Gideon faced when he defeated the Midianites. It didn’t matter that he was following God’s instructions. And it didn’t matter that he did ask the men of Ephraim to help round up the scattering Midianites. They wanted to be part of the original victory. They wanted some of that glory.
Gideon was a smart man. He’d proven that by listening to God. So, he placated the men of Ephraim by telling them how wonderful they were and how small he and his clan were. Yes. Gideon stroked their egos. And it worked. The Bible tells us that the men of Ephraim were no longer angry.
I’ll probably never understand why some people need to feel superior to others in order to feel good about themselves. I know their self-esteem must be in the toilet for them to be that way. I know I should feel sorry for them and pray for them. And sometimes I do. Other times I just get so aggravated that I have to really pray that God will hold my tongue because I truly don’t think I can. Know what I mean?
The older I get the more I realize how little I truly know. I also have come to realize that the opinions of others aren’t always as important as I once thought they were. And it’s because we all have less than pure motives, no matter how much we try to convince ourselves otherwise. It’s called being human. We humans are a selfish bunch and that’s not something any of us really want to face. We want good things for the people we love but we also want those good things because those good things will reflect back on us in a positive way. Think about it.
Then consider that God does have pure motives for everything He does. He always wants what is best for us. He always provides excellent advice and constant support. He never leaves us alone, no matter what we’ve done or how steep the mountain that looms before us may seem. So the next time you’re thinking about trying something new or something truly scary, talk to God. And listen to what He has to say. His opinion is the only one that matters.
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