go in the strength that you have

My family and I have just recently moved to the City of George that is located on the beautiful Garden Route in the Western Cape (about 450km from Cape Town).
Our reason from moving was that we felt God prompting us to plant a church in the George area.
When doing something like this, the question arises as to whether we are equipped for such a task, will we be able to do what we feel God has called us to do?
Gideon was faced with a similar problem, he was called on by God to go and defeat the Midianites... he was not a military man, in fact his response to the request was "But Lord, " Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family." (see Judges 6:15). He had good reason not to take on such a calling, he simply did not feel qualified, have you ever felt under qualified for a task you were faced with, I have.
So the logical plan of action would have been to make a fighting man out of Gideon, send him to do some basic training in weaponry, toughen him up, teach him some leadership skills (which he would need as it seemed he would be promoted from a new recruit to general in one step!).

However God does not operate within the parameters of our logic and his reply to Gideons self disqualification was "I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together."
Gideon was not going to fight for the Lord but with the Lord! There is an important difference there... God would go with him. I have begun to realise that we don't work for God but with God.

Go in the strength that you have

Gideons speech of disqualification followed this instruction of the Lord... 'go in the strength that you have' (vs 14)... he was, as we gather from his reply, not feeling very strong at the time. He went on to describe just how weak and small he felt, so how could he save Israel with such credentials (not a great CV for a general)... there would be no military training, no boot camp, no fancy weaponry (a torch and and a trumpet), no great army (300 strong) all that was required of him was to go in the strength that he had because God was with him.

So often we disqualify ourselves because we look at what we don't have instead of looking at what we do have, remember Jesus telling the disciples to feed the multitude and they immediately looked at what they did not have. But when presenting Jesus with a little boy's lunch, Jesus took what they had broke it and blessed it and fed the multitude.
Again we often look at our lack of strength but fail to see the great power of God, we look at our limitations but fail to see God's limitlessness.
So the secret is we are called to use what we have and work with God, he will supply the rest.

How many opportunities have we missed in life because we concentrated on ourselves instead of on God? I think I have missed plenty. It's in obedience to God that we begin to experience the adventures of God, its in obedience to Him that we begin to experience a life we have read about in books. These adventures are not for a chosen few, they are prepared for all the children of God no matter how unqualified we feel.

Are you faced with a seemingly impossible task? I hope these thoughts I have written here will help you embark on an adventure of a lifetime! Or perhaps it will just help you get through the next step in your life, help you face tomorrow.
I know that I have to be reminded of these truths every time I am faced with a new venture, but I have been encouraged by looking at the example of Gideon, I pray the same for you.