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by Nathan Buck

The more publicly you live, the more scrutiny you are under. The more influence your words and actions have, the more push-back you are going to have. It is a simple principle that the more we are seen, the more others will have an opinion about who we are and what we do. And the more our presence has an impact on others' experiences and expectations, the more they will want to correct, control, or eliminate our influence.

So, what do we do? If we stand up and do what is right, if we become a public spectacle, do we have any hope of withstanding the public backlash to follow? Gideon had this choice to make when God called him to be a judge of Israel. He chose not to hide, and he could have died for it, but he had someone standing in the gap for him. Read Judges 6:28-40.

Not only did Gideon's dad Joash stand up for him, he used the most powerful weapon possible: truth. An enraged, fearful, and infuriated crowd is wanting Gideon's head for destroying the Baal and Asherah idols of worship. Gideon obeyed God almighty and showed these false gods for what they were. And when the crowd demands that Joash turn Gideon over, Joash does something simple and incredible. He simply speaks the truth. "Whoever pleads for Baal will be put to death in the morning. If Baal is a god, let him contend for himself..."

What a powerful statement! Joash first affirms that God almighty will hold anyone accountable for going against Gideon, and then he invites the people to consider the simple truth that gods should be able to fend for themselves. If not, are they really gods? What power do they have?

The simplicity of truth is amazing, and its ability to guard us from the delusions of others is absolute. Think about it; even if they killed Gideon and Joash, the rightness of their actions would have been proved. The delusion would have been exposed by the 'need' for the people to harm them.

As it turned out, the people gave Gideon a new name in honor of what he did, and then the Spirit of God came upon Gideon in a way that rallied 32,000 people to his side to fight for freedom from Midian.

  When we stand for what is true and let our lives be led by God, we are guarded by truth because people must consider what is true before taking action on what they feel or want. Truth always runs interference for us, and when we surround ourselves with people of truth, they too will stand guard to defend us.

The power of Gideon's boldness and obedience was strengthened and preserved by his father's use of truth. And the mission God had for Gideon began with all the people seeing the Truth of God's mission for Gideon.

If living for God is hard for you, or if you feel like you can't live a Jesus centered life because of how people treat you, consider Gideon. The mission God has for you cannot happen if God's work in your life is obscured by masks and lies. Seek to live truthfully in every circumstance, and surround yourself with wise people who are truth tellers. You will be amazed how truth will help you to stand firm and live boldly by God's Spirit in situations you never thought you could.

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