WHEN I'M BESIDE MYSELF

When I’m Beside Myself

Judges 8:22-28

      Have you ever heard anyone say, “I’m so upset, I’m just beside myself?”  What they mean is that things are going the wrong way for them and they have become distraught.  There are three (3) areas we want to cover that may apply to your life.  1) What happened to Gideon, 2) What were the consequences and, 3) How can we prevent this from happening to us?  First, let’s see how Gideon was affected.

      “The Israelites said, "Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson. You have saved us from Midian's tyranny." Gideon said, "I most certainly will not rule over you, nor will my son. GOD will reign over you." Then Gideon said, "But I do have one request. Give me, each of you, an earring that you took as plunder." Ishmaelites wore gold earrings, and the men all had their pockets full of them. They said, "Of course. They're yours!" They spread out a blanket and each man threw his plundered earrings on it.  The gold earrings that Gideon had asked for weighed about forty-three pounds—and that didn't include the crescents and pendants, the purple robes worn by the Midianite kings, and the ornaments hung around the necks of their camels. Gideon made the gold into a sacred ephod and put it on display in his hometown, Ophrah. All Israel prostituted itself there. Gideon and his family, too, were seduced by it.”   [Judges 8:22-27 (MSG)]
     Gideon, the son of Joash was given the task of delivering the Israelites from the Midianites and Amalekites, desert nomads who repeatedly raided the country.  Gideon was not a willing volunteer.  Although he knew the will of God, twice he laid out the fleece in what seems an effort to avoid the will of God by imposing impossible conditions.  God met his conditions both times and then set out the strategy that would guarantee victory for Israel. 
      Gideon was victorious in his quest and the Midianite oppressions were brought to an end.  This hero of faith ended his life on a sad note.  Even though he refused to let the people crown him king and testified that only God was King, he ordered the people to give him their gold earrings which had been taken as spoil from the Ishmalites.  He made an ephod (some sort of idol covered with gold and perhaps jewels and set up as something to worship).  It became a worship symbol and led his people astray.
      What happened to Gideon? Gideon began in what I’m going to call the ‘God mode’.  He was on speaking and listening terms with God.  God’s direction is always the very best plan.  How do we get this plan?  There are (3) ways to get the plan.  1)  Prayer, 2) the Word, 3) Dreams or Visions.
     When we follow God’s direction, we are clearly on the right path.  However, when we get out of the ‘God mode’ and into the ‘Self mode’, we instantly set ourselves up for failure.  In other words, we are beside ourselves!  This is what happened to Gideon; he dropped his guard and decided to help God out.  His intentions were good, but his source was not God, it was his own.  He tried to get ahead of God and the next thing he knew, he was outside of the ‘God Mode’ and he was beside himself.
      If you feel God has called you to a ministry, you better be very sure the plan comes from God and not from your own desires.  Your own desires are generally worldly, or selfish.  Have you ever said to yourself, “Wow, this is such a great idea I thought of.  I think I’ll just go ahead and do it.”  If you are a creative person you will figure everything out the way you think it should be and put it into action.  Perhaps it appears to be a success, BUT, is it what God wanted you to do, or what you wanted to do?  When others build you up and tell you how wonderful you are; watch out! You may even develop a following, but it could be a hidden snare; a net by the wayside or even a trap.
      How can we prevent going from the God Mode to the Self Mode?  First of all there is a wonderful word in the Bible and it is TRUST!  Ps 91:2 “I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.   How do we trust God?  There are 5 ways to put your trust in the Almighty.

     Put your faith in Him, not in yourself.

     Don’t try to get ahead of Him.

     Pray for direction.

     Listen for the answer.

     Act on the direction he gives you, even if it isn’t what you want or expect.

Listen, it is no little thing to serve the Lord.  People that so easily speak for God should ‘take heed’.  When you say, “Thus says the Lord”, you better know you have heard from God and not from yourself. When you plan to do thus and thus in the line of God’s will, you better make sure its God’s plan and not your own and that you are not beside yourself.  There are consequences for not getting the right direction from God.

     When God calls you to a certain task or ministry, trust in Him; let Him lead you and you will never be beside yourself again.