This week I wanted to focus on the word confidence. I pitched a few questions in my word prompt,

Let’s start by answering those.  

And then we can take a look and see where we can find more information from Gods word about this topic. 

Should we have confidence in ourselves, in God, or in both?

And I think we all know that the answer to this question should be both right? But obviously with much more emphasis on God rather than ourselves. Many times I believe we find ourselves having more confidence in our own abilities and less confidence in Gods.  

Or maybe we don’t have much confidence in our own abilities therefore we also have no confidence in Gods ability to help us. 

The right attitude would be to have ALL CONFIDENCE IN GOD who then gives us confidence in ourselves. 

Now let’s back this up with some truth because I could surely tell you these things and they can sound great but I want you to know that this is not my word it’s Gods and there is nothing I can say or do to make you find the confidence that only God can provide. 

Confidence in ourselves, without Surrender to God, 

This looks like pride, arrogance, and the lack of the ability to see our true need for God in our lives. 

This type of confidence can lead us to mental breakdowns, anxieties, or the need to call for help in ways that will never be able to fill the desire for what we truly need and that is God. 

“When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom.” Proverbs 11:2 NKJV

“By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom.” Proverbs 13:10 NKJV

“A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor.” Proverbs 29:23 NKJV

So pride, hurts us, it hurts us badly, because we simply can’t do this alone.

Sure when life is good, pride tells you it’s because of you, but what about when life gets hard and you no longer have all the answers that you need to comfort yourself, pride becomes worry and anxiety. You may wonder about the next scripture I’m about to share but before we get there I will explain… here Jesus is explaining to the people not to worry, that God cares for us, when we worry it’s like we are telling God, no you can’t help me, I must depend only on myself (more confidence in myself than God?) 

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:25-34 NKJV

You know we can also apply this scripture to the next idea, because worry also tells us that, we are no good, It tells us that God can not help us , no one can help me defeat this thought, or this life.

These are lies. 

Lacking confidence in our own abilities therefore we also limit our confidence in Gods ability to help us. 

And this parable comes to mind as I think of this idea, 

““For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” Matthew 25:14-30 NKJV

When we have no confidence in ourselves, we fail to see the blessings that God has provided us with, he gave us all something to share with the world, and no this does not look like pride as we have already seen,  it is in humility, and kindness, that we share these gifts given to us!  We must be careful to not run and hide everything we have been given (even if it is just a little) because we are afraid! Like the man who was only given one talent, we can learn from this story that every one who took their talents and did something with them, multiplied them .  Who knows what could have come of the man who had one, if he chose not to hide it? Everyone has something to share! 

With all confidence in God, let us move forward, 

Which answers my last question, 

What should confidence look like in us? 

Confidence in us should look like faith, trust, CONFIDENCE IN GOD! 

Which therefore causes confidence in ourselves. We must remember that it is because of Him that we are here, it is because of Him that we live, it is because of Him that we are blessed, and we must give Him all the glory! We need His help every day to get through this life, and thankfully He gave us everything we need, never has he left His people without something to hold on to! 

Today we have the word of God which teaches us Jesus, who came down to the earth to walk with us in all of our troubles, to teach us and then freely allow us to kill Him brutally in the cross, in our pride and arrogance we did it! 

But He humbled himself not out of lack of confidence, but a full confidence to teach us where we must put our trust, and hope!  

Everything that we need to know is written in the Word of God, not every story but everything we NEED to know! 

“And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.” John 21:25 NKJV

Our confidence, grows when we read about what God has done throughout time for His people!  Most importantly sending us Jesus! We often forget, we often worry, and we often get tangled up in lies that are fed to us daily about ourselves and this life and how troubling it can be! 

I love the Psalm’s because they are like personal journals, songs of poetry written about God and His help as well as struggles we face as we try to navigate this life, David is one of the Key writers to the Psalms and you can also read his story in the books of First and Second Samuel, and if you want to talk about someone confident in God, the story David and Goliath hits the nail on the head!

As grown men were shaking in their war boots a young boy, David confidently approaches the king ready to fight the giant the everyone else feared.

“But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” Moreover David said, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!” I Samuel 17:34-37 NKJV

You can read on to see how God helps Him win in this story, you can also read on to see how God had continued to help him in his life, sure he made mistakes too, don’t we all but many Psalms were written by him and his writings show us how devoted he was the God and how much he relied on Him. 

So for me, my confidence grows stronger as I read and remember the promises of God but not only that, we also gain confidence by putting it into practice, 

Confidence is not something that we gain by doing nothing, but it comes from doing some things that feel scary, some things that are new and uncomfortable, removing things that are actually dragging you down, and aspiring to grow especially closer to God! 

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:6-13 NKJV

Let us look to Christ the Author and perfector of our faith

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.” Hebrews 12:1-4 NKJV

Running this race of life with confidence, in God looking to Jesus our example and remembering His promises… 

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”” John 16:33 NKJV

Confidence in Christ is the key, following His way is opening the door to a better life! 

❤️