The Courage To Act - Gideon

“Bring out your son,” the men of the town demanded of Joash. “He must die for destroying the altar of Baal and for cutting down the Asherah pole.”

Judges 6:30

Paul Rusesabagina made quite a name for himself in the hotel business. This courageous man didn’t earn that fame for his business work in the hotel but by heroically risking his life to save the lives of over one thousand people. As his home city of Kigali crumbled around him during the Rwandan genocide of 1994, he gave refuge to frightened members of the Tutsi tribe in the Hôtel des Diplomates, which he managed.

Have you ever considered what you would do if standing up for what you knew to be right meant taking a big risk to your health and safety, or even your life? Would you have the courage to do this?

The Old Testament hero Gideon had the courage needed to champion his principles and God’s name, even when doing so meant risking his skin.

Tearing down the altar of the idol Baal was no small offense to the locals in Gideon’s hometown. When Gideon did that, they were more than ready to exact revenge in the name of their god. Only the intervention of Gideon’s father, Joash, kept the mob from killing Gideon.

What made Gideon’s behavior so radical? He saw beyond the surface of things and recognized that accommodating Baal amounted to treason against God. By destroying the altar of Baal and replacing it with an altar to the Lord, Gideon showed that he had the courage needed to stand against what is wrong and champion what is right, even in the face of extreme danger.

Take a look at your own world. Think of your home, workplace, church, and neighborhood. Do you see any “altars of Baal” there? Is there any place that you believe a courageous man of God should take a radical stand? If so, what keeps you from being that man? Put your faith in God’s power, and ask him to help you to speak and act as a godly man of courage.