After Gideon confirmed he was indeed hearing from the Lord that he was to lead his people to victory over their enemies, God gave him his first assignment:
That night the Lord said to Gideon, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one that is seven years old. Pull down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole standing beside it. Then build an altar to the Lord your God here on this hilltop sanctuary, laying the stones carefully. Sacrifice the bull as a burnt offering on the altar, using as fuel the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down.” So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord had commanded. But he did it at night because he was afraid of the other members of his father’s household and the people of the town (Judges 6:25-27).
Gideon's first act wasn't to attack his external enemies, but rather to deal with one closer to home. He had to tear down his family's ties to idolatry. Gideon did what God asked but did it at night for fear of his family's response.
Family pressure can be an obstacle to your creative purpose. Perhaps you are concerned about your family's or friend's response when you accept and act on your purpose? Maybe your family has a business and the expectation is that you will be part of it? Or maybe many of your family have the same career and there is pressure for you to follow their lead? Or perhaps your family's history isn't one that includes serving the Lord and now you are faced with establishing a new culture that represents the Kingdom of God?
Is God asking you to do something that may not be understood by your family or friends? That's what Gideon was facing. He obeyed the Lord, however, and it turned out later that his father defended his son's decision! You can't control people's responses to your decisions and there are no guarantees that people will be as accepting as Gideon's father. However, you must face where family fear may be hindering your obedience and confront it so you can be and do all that God has for you to be and do.
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