Unity in Our CommunitySample

See the Gold

“When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, ‘The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.’” —Judges 6:12

“You are a leader.”

These were words I had never heard before. Bobby Herron was the first black man I knew who had been involved in international ministry, and he saw something in me that night.

As the leader of the campus Bible study at my school, I got an invitation to attend a Christian conference the week after Christmas. That semester I led a group of fellow students through the Bible but still felt insecure.

Since I wasn’t the outgoing extroverted type, I didn’t have the confidence to own the title of leader. Bobby saw it the moment he met me. He saw the gold in me that I couldn’t see.

When the Midianites took over Israel, Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress (Judges 6:11). He was in hiding, trying to survive the oppression, and lacking confidence.

Then the angel of the Lord appeared and said to him, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior” (v. 12). He wasn’t acting like a mighty warrior at the time, but the angel saw the gold of leadership buried underneath the timidity.

I believe this is how God wants us to see people: to see the gold buried under all the insecurity and flaws. He wants us to see the potential in even the most unlikely people, just like Bobby saw the gold in me and the angel of the Lord saw the gold in Gideon.

Ramon Mayo

When did someone see the gold in you? How can you begin to see the gold in others?

Mighty God, please help us to see the gold in other people and encourage them to live out their potential in You.