This morning we continue our series entitled, “Refined Focus”, by continuing with our new mini-series entitled, “Focusing on Dying To Self”. A few days ago I highlighted six believers in scripture who had to die to their old identity in order to become the person God called them to be. One of them was Gideon. I said the following about him:
“Gideon had to die to his identity and reality as a scared farmer in order to become a Mighty Man of Valor. God looked at a man who considered himself to be the weakest man from the weakest clan in all of Israel and called this man to raise up an army and then lead that army in a revolution. God converted Gideon from a coward to a Champion, but he first needed to be willing to die to self.”
Once again, Jesus said: “Any of you who want to be my follower must stop thinking about yourself and what you want. You must be willing to carry the cross that is given to you for following me. Any of you who try to save the life you have will lose it. But you who give up your life for me and for the Good News will save it.” (Mark 8:34,35 ERV).
Let’s seek to learn a few things from the life of Gideon this morning.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
- Dying to self requires dying to your opinion of you and embracing God’s opinion of you. You must see yourself the way God sees you in order to become the person God has called you to be. God called Gideon a mighty warrior. Gideon saw himself as the weakest man from the weakest clan. Gideon had to change his self-image in order to walk in God’s best.
- It takes understanding God’s unearned grace to truly embrace the person God called you to be. God did not call you based on your works. God did not call you based on your goodness. God did not call you because you earned it. God called by solely by His unearned and amazing grace. This is how God does extraordinary things with ordinary people. God is able to look past failures and flops. God is able to look past errors and human frailty. God is able to make holy garments from flawed material. This is how God looked at a scared farmer (Gideon) and called him a Mighty Man of Valor!
- God always speaks to your “To Be” stage, not your “Right Now” stage. God can look at a coward and call him a champion because God sees you the way He called you, not the way you are performing right now. As Gideon embraced the person God called him to be, he was able to die to the coward and evolve into the champion!
- Dying to self requires getting to the point where you know God is your source. God told Gideon, “You can do it because I will help you.” God was helping Gideon internalize the fact that the same God who spoke creation into existence, who parted the Red Sea, who destroyed the Egyptians, and who caused the walls of Jericho to come tumbling down, was WITH him to HELP him every step of the way! Guess what? That same God is present to help you. With God ON you, IN you, WITH you and FOR you, there is nothing you cannot do! The more you die to self, the more He can flow THROUGH you!
- God can do a quick work. It did not take long for God to transform Gideon from a coward into a champion. He did it for Gideon and He can do it for you. Divine success is not based on your ability, power or strength. It’s is based on your level of submission to God. The faster you die, the faster God can live through you.
- Gideon did the seemingly impossible because God was with him. He led 300 men to defeat an army of over 125,000 men. How, because Gideon’s 300 were not the ones doing the work. It was God working with them and through them. God will do the same through you when you die to self. As Jesus explained, it is the Father, living IN You, He will give you the words and He will perform the work!
- As soon as you die to self the impossible becomes possible for you. Because at that point it won’t be you doing it.
Closing Confession: Father, this is a season of refined focus for me. I bring my life into focus in 2016 by dying to self. When You first approached Gideon he was not ready to be the man You called him to be. But You never gave up on him. You worked with Gideon until he was able to develop a prosperous soul. After Gideon saw himself doing what You called him to do he was able to cooperate with You, to accept the assignment, and to embrace Your grace for the supernatural. Like Gideon, when You first approached me I was not ready. I could not see myself doing what You have called me to do. I thought I had made too many mistakes. I thought the assignment was too big. I thought the bar was set too high. But the more I walk with You, the more I die to me and my limits. As I die, You live. As I decrease, You increase. As I move out the way, You are able to flow through me and manifest the supernatural on a daily basis! So I boldly declare: I will do what I am called to do and because I won’t be the one doing it! It is You Father, living in me, You give me the words and You perform the work! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
