How to Minister to an Analytical-Doer-Skeptic Like Gideon
- For some reason there seem to be an inordinate percentage of analytical temperament types in cross-cultural ministries and missions. Yet this group tends to produce excellent teachers, musicians, writers, and physicians as well. There must be something about the challenge to reach the ideals of Christlike ministries in another culture that attracts these people. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why there tends to be some many interpersonal difficulties between missionaries. Possessed with great sensitivity toward the leading of the Spirit of God, they are also easily offended by their fellow missionaries. Careful to a fault, these people tend to want information, reasons, motives, purposes, and time to scrutinize before they make a decision. Their fastidious attention to detail often makes them some of the most effective workers and implementors of the ideas of the drivers and expressives who are too busy planning to follow-up their suggestions. They are often content to diligently and faithfully carry out their duties without a lot of recognition. However, they are easily offended as they tend to wear their feelings out in the open. They tend to battle with depression, discouragement, and are easily hurt if criticized. Any insinuation about their worth tends to send them into a spiral of self-doubt since they continually have to wrestle with a negative self-image.
Because of their critical nature, they prefer to be quiet and even by themselves as they enjoy being protected from hurt. Their thoroughness is a wonder asset to have if they are working with some of their extrovertish temperaments who help them maintain the big picture in the greater - global purposes of God. Their persistence is one of their most commendable features since they are excellent at implementing their tasks. Serious by nature, they need to work on their interpersonal skills and friendships. Their work-acholic attitudes often make them very productive even though few ever learn about all of their quiet accomplishments. Industriousness is one of their most admirable traits as they are quietly insistent on the vitalness of their mission.
However, since they tend to think more in principles than about people they can appear to be cold, aloof, and arrogant. Their theoretical nature leads them to become excellent teachers provided that they can muster enough practical illustrations and assignments for their down-to-earth pupils to understand their ideas in practical terms. Some of the greatest strategists in cross-cultural missiology have possessed a healthy percentage of this temperament. They are concerned about reasons for doing tasks to be as important as the task themselves. Preferring to have everything perfectly in place before they start their jobs, they tend to drag their feet in groups where the extroverts are more eager for risk taking. Being picky by their character, the analyticals struggle in making decisions. For this reason, they are the most resistant personality type to change until confront directly by God’s convicting Spirit.
Longing to see evidence before they make up their minds, they can be some of the most stubborn people on a jury in coming up with a verdict. Their technical orientation makes them great candidates for service ministries that do not need a lot of people skills. However, with the filling of the Spirit, these people can become some of the greatest leaders in Christianity. Consider such great men who possessed this trait from the scriptures - Moses, Jeremiah, and Gideon. Gideon was an excellent man to help solve one of Israel’s most critical problems of idolatry during the days of the judges. He gave us a profile of how one analytical could lead his people from idolatry and even back into idolatry in Judges 6-7. The scriptures give us both the positive sides and negative sides of this man’s struggles with idolatry, opposition, and even family pressures!
Example - Gideon, lived in a time of terrible apostasy where his father had turned to Baal worship. Few Israelites even worried themselves about attending the feasts of the Lord at Shiloh. As a result the people were divided and were easy prey for the marauding Bedouin raiders. For seven continuous years the Midianites invaded the Israelite land stealing their livestock and grain. It is for this reason that we find Gideon hiding inside of a hut grinding and thrashing grain to keep the Midianites from stealing what little his family had left. The entire country was impoverished, oppressed, and suffering from lack of fellowship and blessings from God.
Then the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon in the winepress and commissioned him to smite the Midianites thereby liberating his people. Only a few conditions must be attended to first. The first night the Lord tested Gideon’s obedience by commanding him to begin by destroying his father’s idols. The Lord knew that there is no victory where there is a divided mind. God knows that before He can reign supreme in our ministries, He must have command of our hearts and minds. God knew that an analytic must deal with the sources of sin at the root before one could expect to see any real fruit. Perhaps, this is why God require Gideon to display his commitment publicly in case their might be any half-heartedness in his obedience. Next, Gideon was told he must carefully construct an alter to God to give evidence to everyone that his total allegiance had turned from idols to serve a living God. (Judges 6:11-27). This act of courage so angers the towns people that his father has to save him from their hateful desires to kill Gideon.
God would reveal step by step, His plan to a sensitive Godly man such as Gideon. God would use this persevering man of God to deliver His people from their enemies. Gideon is a picture of how God can transform the cowardly into a great leader. God comes to a man and a people controlled by fear, doubt, and weaknesses and change everything. God usually calls analytics out of their discouraged state to do great and mighty things for Him. When all seems hopeless, God calls analytical persons with the promise of eternal hope. Even when it seems that our family and friends have all turned against us, the God of all power, reaches down to take hold of the hand of the timid analytics. Like Moses, God is able to speak intimately to the analytics in ways that few other people can appreciate for it was said of Moses,
``The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend . . . ``Moses said to the Lord, ``You have been telling me, ’Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ’I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.’’
The Lord replied, ``My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’’
He speaks through Paul as he wrote to the analytical Timothy when he reassured him with these words:
``God has not given us the spirit of timidity, but of power, love, and discipline.’’ (2 Tim. 1:7)
Intimacy with the Lord is the source of strength, direction, and blessings for all men, but especially the analyticals. Without the nearest of God they are people without any assurance. Their gut level need for the reassuring presence of the Spirit of God is perhaps greater than all of the other temperaments put together. Perhaps this is one of the reason why God seems to have used these personality types more than any other. God’s faith in the analytics becomes evident by the expectation He places in them. Notice how he views Gideon, ``The Lord is with you mighty warrior.’’ God sees us not as much as how we are, but what we may become through His empowering!
Gideon, likewise had to know that this strength to do God’s will was not his own but the Lord’s. Gideon had to know that he could not rely on military might, cunny, or quantities of soldiers, but on God’s leading. Despite the fact that Gideon felt terribly inadequate for the task, God reassured him with a sign. Gideon told the Lord My clan is the weakest in Manasseh . . . and I am the least. The angel of God said to him, ``Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock, and pour out the broth. And Gideon did so. With the tip of the staff that was that was in his hand, the angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread . . . When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, ``Ah, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face! But the Lord said to him, ``Peace! Do not be afraid, You are not going to die. So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord is Peace.’’ (Judges 6:20-23)
God’s inspiration allowed Gideon to rise above his fears of failure, death, and rejection. The analyticals are especially needy of great inspiring music, messages, and devotionals in order to be reconfirmed in their callings. We must also realize in the New Testament age of grace we have several distinct advantages over Gideon. One believers in the Old Testament were in indwelt with the Spirit of God as believers in the New Testament. Secondly, the Spirit came on a man like Gideon for special purpose, service, and work. The Spirit in the New Testament, comes to take up permanent residence in the soul of each believer giving one instant and constant access to God’s power. We are ministers of a new covenant through Christ. Thirdly, the Spirit did not permanently dwell with His people in the O.T. He departed from Samson in Judges 16:20 and from Saul in I Sam. 16:14. IN the N.T., the Spirit promises He will never leave us or forsake us.’’ (Heb. 13:5,6) Fourthly, the Spirit in the O.T. affected the outer aspects of believers lives to give public evidence of His working miracles. The Spirit clothed the believers in the O.T. instead of filling them as in the N.T. Notice how Samsom had the Spirit of God come upon him, but he remained a morally weak person. The Spirit’s working in the N.T. is seen through the specific fruits of the Spirit in Gal. 5:22,23. All of this points out that contextualizers are gifted with unique gifts, callings, and the fruits that come from the residing Holy Spirit in them. These inner resources are limitless and foster one with Godly character, skill, wisdom, power, and supernatural grace in times of need. (2 Cor. 12:;9,10)
The N.T. believer has all the power and authority through Christ, that he needs to do great cross-cultural works. Jesus said, ``He who believes in me, the works that I do, shall he do also and greater things shall he do because I go to the Father.’’ (John 14:12)
Example - One Gideon like missionary IN NIGERIA displayed similar courage recently. When the missionary entered a remote village to preach the gospel, he asked permission of the chief to start a church. The chief thought for a long while and replied:
``We have a custom in a village that all visitor must observe if they want to work amongst us. I will allow you to do evangelism and start a church on one condition. If you will show us that you are part of us by having sexual relations with one of my daughters.’’
The missionary became frightened and embarrassed, but before he could turn the request down, the chief continued.
``Unless you comply with this request, my men will have to kill you to keep you from spreading this secret to other adventurous young men who would like to abuse our daughters.’’
The missionary begged the chief to reconsider, but steadfastly refuse to commit adultery with the young women in the village.
The chief quickly order his men to tie the missionaries hands and feet and have him brought before him. Then he ordered his men to bring him the sacrificial knife to offer the missionary as a sacrifice to their ancestral gods. Just as the knife was about to be plunged into the missionary’s neck, the contextualizer cried, ``Wait. Allow me to talk to my God one more time.’’
The missionary then prayed a very long prayer asking God to do His will regardless of the consequences. When he finished praying, he said, ``IN Jesus name, amen.’’
The chief then turned to the table where he had placed the knife before the prayer, but it had disappeared. The chief said to his elders, ``Did any of you remove the knife? Since everyone was standing around watching with eager eyes. Someone said to the chief, ``It just vanished in thin air!’’
The chief almost fainted from astonishment, but turned to the missionary and said, ``Come build your church right next to my house. Your God is obviously more powerful than any of our gods. I want you to start evangelizing my own wives and children first.’’ Today there is a thriving church in that village. The missionary refused to compromise his standards, like Gideon. He made his commitment public even at the risking of his own life. Many contextualizers fail because they prefer to not take any risks that would end in rejection, suffering, or deprivation of the good things of life.
The Lord realizes that many of analyticals trust God more in trials than in times of ease. God is not just interested in giving contextualizers success in their ministries, but also in their relationship with Him and people. The Lord did not want Gideon to take the glory, credit, or power for himself. Neither did He want any of Gideon’s soldiers to think that they would conquer cross-cultural encounters through their own strength, so He designed a screening process. The test revealed a sense of watchfulness, humility, single-mindedness, and resourcefulness. The 300 men that scooped the water with their hands would not forget their central purpose was in the battle for the Lord. God was not necessarily looking for better methods in cross-cultural encounters, but better men! Gideon could then lead his men into the enemies camp by saying, ``Watch me, follow my lead!’’ Godly analytics are worth following. They will not be complacent, retiring, or indifferent to the command to go into all the world and make disciples.
Yet, Gideon allowed his successes to go to his head, as many analytics do even today. Throughout the eighth chapter of Judges there is no recording of appreciations, praise, or thanksgiving to the Lord. Gideon fell into one of the most deadly traps of many analytics, the sin of ingratitude and introspection. When the people asked Gideon to be their king, he complied, hiding a secret selfish ambition in his heart. The power went to his head making him think that he was the major cause of Israel’s successful deliverance. Gideon listened to the carnal complaints and wishes of his followers. The people gave Gideon credit for that which he did not deserve. Everyone should have remembered that before God’s intervention, Gideon was weak, frail, and misguided in his perceptions. The Israelites were borrowing ideas of kingly rule from the pagan tribes around them. They wanted to conform to this world rather than be transformed by the renewing of the minds with the truths from God.
Gideon’s greatest contextual cross-cultural mistakes came when he requested that the earrings be collected for his spoil from the Midianites’ noses. Gideon saw that the people collected the gold gladly in appreciation for what he had done. Gideon may have acted with good motives, but his methods were wrong. The ephod that Gideon had made became a major snare to the people. All Israel played the harlot with it. It became a snare to Gideon and his entire household. The ephod was a gown, like a riga, designed to help the priest wearing it, to discern the will of God for the people. People were then led to think that they could follow a creation rather than the creator for guidance, support, and their sources of blessings. Gideon also moved the tabernacle from Shiloh to Ophrah because he wanted the place of worship to be in his home village. Gideon was guilty of violating the statutes of the scriptural truth by moving the tabernacle to his own area. Gideon was guilty of putting the desires of his own villagers ahead of the greater good of all of God’s people. Analytics are often tempted by favoritism, nepotism, and tribalistic sentiments. He thought that he could determine God’s will in his own way.
Soon it became clear that Gideon’s compromises led him to a carnal Kingly lifestyle. Gideon went back home to live after his battles. There, he fell into many sinful compromises.
1). His royal harem - He practiced large scale polygamy by taking many wives. He had fallen into the practices of the pagans around him. He put his trust in his own power rather than in that of the Lord.
2). His royal luxuries - Gideon lived in prosperity after having described himself as, ``The least in the Manasseh. (Judges 6:15) He knew what Moses had said about this kind of lifestyle from Deut. 17:17 which said, ``Neither shall a king multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself.’’ Surely, it must have taken loads of gold, silver, and servants to support so many wives and children in tiny-out of the way Oprah village.
3). His royal titles - Gideon even named his son Abimelech, meaning ``My father is king.’’ Even though Gideon had renounced the title of king in verse Judges 8:23, he took it back in a subtle way by naming his son Abimelech. Even his sons took it as their right as ``children of a king’’ to continue on the throne of Israel.
LESSONS WE LEARN FROM ONE ANALYTICS’ MISTAKES
A. We cannot compromise our obedience to the scriptures. The path of partial obedience is spiritual defeat. We cannot choose to obey what we want and discard the things that we do not want to obey. ``Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he falls.’’
B. Our profession of commitment must be followed by the practice of the Lordship of Christ in everything. Gideon began to compromise his actions with the cultural practices around him and weakened his stance before God.
C. The only safe place to put our focus is on Christ not on people. Paul said, ``Whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men.’’ (Col. 3:23)
D. Be careful in focusing on Who one is serving and the truth and love that are required from Him. Do not just think that if one is doing the right things it will necessarily lead to doing the entire will of God. Be less facts oriented and more people oriented. Learn that one’s analysis may be short-sighted failing to see God’s perspective of the greater global picture of His ministry. Analyticals tend to get myopic in their concerns for only their own ministry failing to see God’s greater purposes in working through the whole situation. Analyticals need constant emphasis on prayer for others’ concerns, interests, and perspectives or they can allow their own introspective views to distort truth and relationships.
Christ grew in all areas with grace, truth, faith, hope, and love operating in balance. He provided a perfect model for the exhibition of the total will of God. God is our planner and perfecter during times of crisis. In cross-cultural contextualization, we are His partners as the scriptures remind us:
``For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.’’ (I Cor. 3:9)
