Being Men of Valor in Our Everyday Lives

The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor. (Judges 6:12)
God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong. (1 Corinthians 1:27)
Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come share your master’s joy. (Matthew 25:21)
During and following the tragedy of September 11, 2001, we witnessed many brave firemen, policemen, and rescue workers risking, and sometimes losing, their lives to save others. They showed all Americans and the entire world what it means to be men of valor.
Most of us will never have to act in such extreme situations. However, whatever the circumstances in which we find ourselves, God calls us to be men of valor. In the Old Testament Book of Judges, God said to Gideon: “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor” (Judges 6:12). Now some of you may be thinking right now, “Wait a minute. Of course Gideon was a man of valor. Didn’t he take a band of 300 men and defeat an army of thousands. His deeds make Mel Gibson’s heroics in Braveheart and The Patriot look like a Sunday school picnic!”
This is all true, but when God spoke these words, Gideon was a lowly farmer, hiding in the back country of Israel (Judges 6:11). In fact, he had probably never ventured beyond his own farm. And when God called on him, he was beating out wheat in a wine press so the Midianites wouldn’t find it. Yet, God looked into Gideon’s heart and called him a man of valor. What attributes did God see in Gideon?
Looking to God for Strength
Perhaps Gideon’s greatest attribute was that he acknowledged his weaknesses, his limitations, and his insignificance