Growing up, no one told me that Bible characters were real people. Oh, they swore to me it all really happened. They were real in that historical way, but what I mean by “real” is people who were complicated, normal. The heroes weren’t always heroic. The good people weren’t always good. And sometimes you don’t like them.

I like that.

Gideon’s story (Judges 6-8) was one of these “real people” revelations to me. No one ever taught me his story from an angle that highlighted his fears, his doubts, or his timidity. They always talked about his 300 as if they were the 300 Spartans, so fearlessly trusting in God that they could face down the Midianites without any real weapons.

They never talked about Gideon’s dew-rags. (Pun intended, as always.)

I liked learning about Gideon’s doubt. It made him relatable. How many times have I thought God was telling me something and wished for a sign, just to be sure? “Is that you, God? Or are my wires crossed and this is just another harebrained notion?” I doubt and worry. Gideon did, too. “Cool trick with the fleece, God. At least, I think it was. I dunno, though, maybe this fleece is just extra absorbent. How about one more time, just to be sure?” Gideon’s inner monologue must have been that of any normal person, and yet he was favored enough to get a clear SIGN from God. How easy would following God’s will be if we had signs to point us in the right direction all the time? And still, Gideon doubted. Me too, Gideon, you lucky duck.

It reminded me of Moses. I’ve been going through his story again in another study, and it struck me that God had to remind him again of the plan SO many times, reassure him again SO many times. (Seriously, I stopped counting at ten). I lost patience with him way before God did.

I liked learning about Gideon’s timidity. That made him relatable, too. “Okay, God, clearly I’m hearing you right. But have you ever met my dad? He’s going to be so ticked when I knock down his altar. I’m still obeying your will, God, but I’m going to apply this strike-by-night loophole.” Gideon was a bit of a chicken, and I can’t really blame him. Not everyone has Abram’s courage, to hear God out of the blue and then be told to up and leave everything (Genesis 12). (Although, note that even though Abram did it instantly, he didn’t have to attack his own family in the same way. Just saying. It’s no small thing God asked of Gideon.)

It reminded me of Moses, again. “Okay, but God, I’m not a brave man. And I have this speech impediment thing, you know? Right, you know. But God, are you sure you don’t want someone else to do this thing? Surely, there’s someone else.” (Exodus 4)

I’m not saying doubt and timidity are good things, just that they are human things. It’s nice to know when you’ve got doubts and fears that others have gone before, that they’ve had even greater doubts and fears, and that they still accomplished great things. Gideon and his men defeated the Midianites against impossible odds, because they trusted the strange plan God had for their lives. Moses faced down Pharaoh, led the Israelites out of Egypt, and walked them all the way to the gates of the Promised Land. They didn’t accomplish those things because they doubted and because they feared, but because their faith in God grew, little by little, step by step, until it became a great big faith. (And yeah, their stories didn’t exactly end in happily ever after – they were human, just like us.)

“Growing big faith isn’t about taking a giant leap. It is about a series of small steps.”

In The Creek’s current sermon series, Grow, we’ve been talking about how big faith isn’t a destination, an end result; instead, it is a journey of one little step after another. God is patient and perfectly willing to bear with us through our baby steps.

Step 1: Gideon, know that this is God speaking (check out that wet/dry fleece).
Step 2: Get rid of the idolatry in your own household.
Step 3: Let’s whittle down that big ol’ army of yours. And so on.

Step 1: Moses, know that this is God speaking (check out that burning bush).
Step 2: Here’s the plan.
Step 3: Here’s the plan again.
Step 4: Okay, before you talk to the Israelites, here’s the plan again.
Step 5: Before you talk to Pharaoh, here’s the plan. Again.

Sometimes your first step is just getting to where you can hear God. You don’t even have to hear Him clearly — there’s a good chance He’s willing to repeat Himself. Just start listening.

Your next step? Usually something as simple as having a teensy bit more faith than yesterday, and repeating it again tomorrow. Wash, rinse, repeat. Wring out your dew-rag and go at it again.