Two of the most common questions I receive from Christian professionals that I meet with are 1) How can I know God’s will for my life, and 2) How ambitious should I be with my work? Neither question has a simple answer per se. They both depend on several factors. In terms of discerning God’s will, for example, should we lay out a fleece like Gideon to hear from God? In terms of ambition, what instruction can we receive by studying the lives and times of Israel’s judges? Let’s consider these questions from the book of Judges.
The downward spiral of Israel’s national and spiritual life continued throughout Judges 3-16 as they repeated the cycle of apostasy, servitude, supplication, and salvation. But through it all, Yahweh demonstrated that He was the Chief Operator, sometimes acting silently in the background or letting His people go their own way. Chapters 3-5 of the book of Judges highlight a series of deliverers or judges God used to rescue His people from various oppressors.
Yahweh used Othniel to end eight years of oppression that then led to forty years of peace. He used Ehud to end eighty years of Moabite dominance in a comic-book-like assassination of an obese ruler named Eglon. He used Shamgar, a foreign mercenary under the service of the Egyptian pharaoh, as a reminder that God can use any means to accomplish His ultimate purpose. Chapters 4 and 5 introduce us to Barak and the prophetess Deborah. They were both used by God to deliver His people after twenty years in bondage.
But the narrator of the book of Judges then spends three chapters on the life and leadership of a judge named Gideon (Judges 6-8). Though he came from a wealthy, aristocratic family, they were the least in his particular clan, and Gideon was the least in his family. As a result, he had a complex about his capabilities.
But the LORD saw him as a mighty man of valor and promised to be with Gideon as He commissioned him to deal with the Midianites, the group of people involved in the sale of Joseph and from which Moses’ wife and father-in-law Jethro originated. Reluctantly, Gideon obeyed Yahweh and destroyed the altar of Baal that his family had sponsored at their home and the Asherah, an idol made of wood.
God used Gideon and “the Spirit of the LORD clothed” him (Judg 6:34).
However, Gideon demonstrated unbelief by requesting a sign from God and trying to manipulate Him with a wool fleece. Even though Gideon was weak in faith, Yahweh, as Commander-in-Chief of Israel, miraculously empowered him and enabled Gideon and a small army of only 300 men to defeat 120,000 Midianite fighters. This success specifically glorified God’s power—Yahweh had led Gideon to pare down his troop levels from 32,000 to 300, creating a scenario where Gideon could not boast of his ability.
Sadly, Gideon continued to turn toward self-centeredness and fear, and away from Yahweh as he took on campaigns that were more personal and less about defending the reputation of Yahweh. He even began attacking other Israelite tribes, dealing with them in a brutal, harsh way. In one shocking incident, he demanded his followers hand over all of their gold jewelry so that he could make an ephod, which was essentially an idol like Baal that he hoped would give him insight and direction.
Ironically, he chose to construct this new idol in the exact place where he had destroyed Baal on his family property, and he used the royal garments worn by the defeated kings of Midian to clothe his new god. The text eerily states that “all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family” (Judg 8:27). Instead of being an image-bearer of Yahweh clothed with the Holy Spirit, Gideon crafted his own useless image and clothed it with pagan materials.
This event marked the first time a leader of Israel officially sponsored an idol. Gideon’s downward spiral continued, yet Yahweh remained faithful. Gideon’s godless choices were vividly on display in the tragic life of his son Abimelech. Ultimately, Gideon leaves a sad legacy—He was a leader consumed with the politics of power, exchanging the servant leadership style of Moses for the crass, self-centered style of the Canaanite rulers.
Let’s think through how to respond now to this section of Scripture. Let’s start by discussing Gideon’s sign of the fleece, which is still erroneously used today as a faulty model for determining the will of God. Why is this idea and practice problematic? First, the people of God are never to tempt God or try to force Him to verify His commands. Secondly, Gideon already knew God’s will. He stubbornly requested a sign to gain some sort of reassurance before actually obeying what God said.
God had already promised victory and had already proven Himself through other miraculous means.
Additionally, God was under no obligation to respond to Gideon. He only graciously did so to accomplish His plan of getting rid of the Midianites. So, think twice before using Gideon’s methods as a model for decision-making. To require God to prove Himself is essentially trying to manipulate Him.
God is also under no obligation to bless or lead those who bear His name in vain, who claim to be the people of God but act like Canaanites. Consider how often we are left depending on secular business principles and social sciences because we’ve decreased our dependence on God and slowed our spiritual development. For example, instead of prayer, fasting, faithfully teaching God’s Word, and authentically loving our neighbors, perhaps we are tempted to resort to the latest marketing trends to build our ministries. Who really needs God to work when we rely on our creative social media presence to reel people in? The key is what or who we are depending on.
The Canaanite way, metaphorically speaking, might be more expedient and profitable for business, but it’s not the most God-glorifying. Our hustle, win-at-all-cost culture offers a myriad of strategies, masterminds, tribes, podcasts, and books to help us to succeed. But there’s almost always a tradeoff we have to make. Is trampling over people or the competition worth it to gain that market share? Is it worth it to sacrifice meaningful time with family and friends to pursue your personal dream? Is it worth it to neglect your local church family, or not be a part of one at all, because you choose to work on Sundays, even though you don’t have to? These are just a handful of real-world examples of tradeoffs and decisions we make that reinforce either a Canaanite lifestyle or one marked by the way of wisdom.
Let’s be reminded that God’s timeless Word is highly relevant for us today, helping us to know how to live and work in a way that honors Him. Seeking to gain wisdom in how to live and work is one of the primary purposes of the entire Wisdom Calling devotional series—to help you listen to God’s voice as He has revealed Himself in the Word, discern what He has for you, and cultivate the wisdom needed to live every moment strategically.
The stories of the judges have much to teach us about leadership as well. It seems that the more impressive a leader’s achievements, the stronger the temptation to become self-centered and independent of God, even in a church or ministry context. You can probably think of prominent pastors and spiritual leaders who reached a certain level of success and yet in the end, lost it all because of failures in their private lives.
Sadly, this phenomenon happens far too often. There is a constant pull for those in leadership to prioritize their ambition versus God’s agenda, timing, and methods. If you are currently in a leadership position or preparing to serve as a ministry leader, allow Gideon’s story to sober you and provide you with greater awareness of the spiritual challenges of ministry. If you are not in a leadership role, allow this to motivate you to pray for those in your life who are.
[Written by Dr. Bobo Beck, the author of Wisdom Calling and host of The Wisdom Calling Podcast, where he helps Christian professionals think more critically and live more strategically, all from a wisdom-based perspective. This discussion is adapted from Volume 1/Devotional 24, Divine Agenda vs. Personal Ambition, which is part of the Wisdom Calling devotional series. For more information, visit www.wisdomcalling.org.]