The Strength One Already Possesses

“And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?” (Jud 6:14 AV)

Or, the might which God has naturally given you.  Gideon is like many of us.  We shortchange the abilities which the LORD has naturally given us.  We are not speaking of the supernatural abilities which the LORD grants according to the task at hand.  We know we can do nothing outside of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and of Christ.  What that does not mean is we are nothing more than a deflated balloon, waiting for the power of the Holy Spirit to fill us so that we can live, or move, or have our being.  It is more like a balloon that is inflated.  But not to its potential.  If the job of the balloon is to merely rise into the air, it has sufficient helium given to it by the balloon master.  It rises under its own might.  The ‘might’ initially given by the master.  However, if it is to rise to the stratosphere, the master will have to increase the volume precipitously.  This is the balance between our own ‘might’ and the extraordinary might given on a case by case basis.  In other words, there is much we can do for the glory of God with what God has given already.  We need not ask for an extra measure of grace.  Yet, like Gideon, we often cower thinking what the LORD has already given is insufficient.

Sometimes we over-spiritualize doctrines.  One of those is the filling of the Holy Spirit and our sufficiency in Christ.  Paul said, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;” (2Co 3:5 KJV)  He is absolutely right.  Paul also said, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” (Ro 7:18 KJV)  We can do nothing outside of the power of the Holy Spirit and there is nothing inherently good about us whatsoever.  We did not come into this world under our own power and we do not live under our own power.  Paul also testified, “And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” (Col 1:17 KJV)  From me you will get no dispute.  However, Paul also teaches us, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Eph 2:10 AV)  In other words, God is shaping us, molding us, and maturing us that we might shew for the praises of Him with whom we have to do.  He has made us with might.  We are nothing outside of Christ.  In Christ, we have the ability to praise and serve Him.

What puzzles the over-thinking mind is the personal possessive pronoun of our verse.  The overthinking theologian will dispute that Gideon has no might of his own.  The only might which he has is the might God gave him at the moment of conception.  The only might Gideon has is the might which enables Gideon to do anything.  Therefore, the overthinking theologian will erroneously believe Gideon doesn’t have ‘might’ of his own.  He would be wrong in the same sense that the meal my wife prepares for me may have come from her, assembled by her, and presented by her.  Once given to me, it is mine to do with as I please.  Gideon does have ‘might’ of his own.  This ‘might’ was given by God as a means to serve the one who has it.  It is there.  It is sufficient (for the most part).  Otherwise, the individual can simply blame God for any failure he suffers.  The LORD simply did not provide the power to overcome and I don’t have ‘might’ of my own.  Therefore, I am not accountable.  Go, in this thy might!  Stop the excuses.  Don’t go down the road of Gideon’s false humility.  Stop undervaluing that which the LORD has already given and go, in this thy might!