Read Judges 6:1-16

[The Israelites had been oppressed, robbed, and raided by the Midianites for seven years, but the Lord heard their cries and was going to free them. Gideon was preparing his wheat in a hidden place.]

When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.” (‭Judges‬ ‭6‬:‭12-16 NIV)

Wow! The Lord called Gideon a “mighty warrior,” and his response sounds so much like my thought life. “Excuse me, Lord, but have you seen all that has happened?” “Excuse me, Lord, but I’m not smart enough, big enough, brave enough, or good-looking enough!” “You must be talking to someone else…”

We all fall prey to mistaken identities! Welcome to the land of insecurities. Actually, welcome to humanity!

An insecurity is defined as “uncertainty or anxiety about oneself,” and there are three roots of insecurities in this passage that I want to point out: nurture, nature, and names.

1. Nurture – “Why has all this happened to us?” Nurture has to do with how you were raised or generational issues that have been passed along through the years. If you were abandoned by your parents, then you are dealing with an insecurity in relationships that has been passed to you by the circumstances that were out of your control. This doesn’t give us the right to play “the victim.” However, we need to be aware of this root as we move forward to find freedom in Jesus!

2. Nature – “I am the least in my family.“ You are born with certain talents, looks, personality traits, etc. with which you had no choice or control. It is how you were created. This shouldn’t be a problem, but we love to compare and start a wish list of all the things others have that we don’t. Or, we overcompensate by constantly bragging about or highlighting our good characteristics or achievements.

3. Names – “My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” Names are the labels, stereotypes, etc. that people place on us, or that we stick to ourselves. All it takes is one person calling you weak, stupid, or good for nothing and it becomes rooted in your thought life. Before long, you believe it so much that you allow it to define you. If you don’t believe me, just ask the adults that have become exactly what they were called as children raised in a dysfunctional households.

The good thing about roots is that they can be pulled up! The key point in this encounter between Gideon and the Lord is that “the Lord is with you.” He repeated it on a personal level, “I will be with you.” Remember, it doesn’t matter how you were raised, what your talents or looks are, or what labels you may wear. The Lord is with you, and you are who God says you are!

Challenge: Take some time to pray about leaving the past in the past, and ask God to be with you moving forward. Ask Him to liberate you from uncertainty or anxiety about yourself!