supporters in droves. The first cut came in Judges 7:3,“ Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying,‘ Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead’”( ESV). Then twentytwo thousand of the people returned and ten thousand remained. His army of fighting men walked away in fear. Their reduction was drawn by God to ensure his glory, but the effects of God orchestrating this reduction of forces was a modern-day canceling of Gideon. But that was truly when the fun began.
Gideon went from thirty-two thousand to defeat the Midianites and do God’ s work to a mere three hundred. This was a 99 percent reduction. The job didn’ t get reduced to the number of men. The call was not rescinded by God. In fact, God doubled down and then gave Gideon an unadulterated plan to defeat an army that overwhelmingly outnumbered them( Judges 7:4-6, 9-10, 19-21). It was an open secret God was behind this cancellation. Some cancellations, whether cultural or spiritual, still have God’ s fingerprints all over them for his purpose will prevail.
When the momentum shifted to soldiers bailing, it seemed like it would not stop. One can argue Gideon’ s“ cancellation” was different from that of the social media influencers, culture stars, and those who hold sway in our world today, but the outcome is the same. Followers will jump ship. One day you’ re up and the next day your followers have abandoned you. One day, I was up with more than enough soldiers to carry out God’ s call on my life and cause in the community. Then I got canceled.
The reasons are never the same and often you wonder if people are telling you the truth when they leave if they even talk to you upon their exit. All you know is being canceled for whatever reason doesn’ t feel good. You can never know why you get canceled. It begins to feel like the whole process is completely out of your control— because it is. New Life did not experience the reduction Gideon did, but our 15 percent reduction of LifeChangers had the same impact on me. It resulted in reduction in budget, volunteers, and momentum. Gideon’ s percentage was far more. Any season of reduction, desertion, or contention within the ranks when you are trying to plant a church and build a building is impactful.
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