Getting the Job Done

When God told Gideon to tear down the altar his father had built to a false God, Gideon would have to risk his life to obey. In Gideon’s day, the patriarchal figure of a family in Israel was the law. So to oppose your father was to take a significant risk.

Gideon did it anyway. He "took ten men from among his servants and did as the Lord had said to him. But because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city too much to do it by day, he did it by night" (Judges 6:27).

Gideon took a big risk here. He took a stand, and he tore the altar down. Yes, he did it at night, but at least he obeyed God.

A lot of people will criticize those who go out and do things. We don’t like the way you do that. . . . We don’t agree with this. . . .We don’t agree with that.

My question for them would be, "What are you doing besides critiquing? What is your plan?"

There are a lot of people who are armchair quarterbacks and professional critics, yet they do little to nothing themselves. Then there are others who go out and get the job done. Some people are setting the world on fire while others are still looking for a match. I like people who go out and take risks. Even if they don’t always do things perfectly, even if they make a mistake here and there, I would rather try and fail than never do anything.

Some people start off weak, but they end up strong. Yet it is better to start weak and end strong than to start strong and end weak. It is better yet to start strong and end strong.