How To Have An Unshakable Confidence
Do you want unshakable confidence? Jeremiah 17:7-8 says, “But Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes, its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” I am confident. I am not confident in Lexi, but I am confident in God who lives in me and has created me. I do not believe in luck. I believe in God, prayer and God given ability to work hard. When our confidence is in the things of this world, it wavers because people, circumstances, jobs, athletic abilities and health all waver. God does not, which is why you will be like a tree who always has water, able to withstand the immense droughts of life and still produce fruit.
Joshua 1:7-8 says, “Be strong and courageous. Be careful to obey all the law My servant Moses gave you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this book of the law always on your lips, meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it, then you will be prosperous and successful.” When you are confident in the word of God, it helps you to not waver to the right or left, but on the straight and narrow path. If you could get a glimpse of the potential God made you with, you would stop doubting yourself. It would change everything. Your confidence is not in yourself alone, but in God and for His glory. Luke 1:45 says “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her.” There is something powerful about the confidence of God fulfilling His promises.
There is a familiar story in 1 Samuel chapter 17, about a giant, named Goliath from Gath, who came from the Philistine camp. He was nine feet and nine inches, including a coat of bronze with a helmet and a spear. Just at the look of him the Israelites fled in fear. However, there is a man, or boy at the time, named David, who said “who is this Philistine to defy the armies of the living God?”. I am sure when David saw Goliath, he was fearful as any of us would be; but, what gave him courage was the thought of someone, no matter who or how big that individual was, to defy God, His God, the Creator of all that he loved. Love for God gives you confidence and courage, regardless of how bad and real the giant is in front of you. Love causes us to do some crazy things, because it casts out fear allowing us to be bold.
The confidence David had to face Goliath came from his preparation that God had him doing in advance. When David said to Saul “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine, your servant will go and fight him”. Saul said there was no way David could do it. He is young and Goliath had been training since youth. David said he has been defending his sheep from predators as a shepherd. David said with confidence this Philistine will be killed just like the lions and bears that attacked his sheep, because he has defied the armies of the living God. David said the Lord will rescue him from the Philistine, just like the predators of his sheep. David was able to be confident because of the training he had. He did not go into battle without preparation. He was not prepared how most would have thought one would be for battle. God made him a shepherd and used his role as a shepherd to become all he needed to defeat Goliath.
1 Samuel 17 and 1 Chronicles 5 talk about when David faced Goliath, he took stones with a sling to this Philistine. The Philistine saw David was a little more than a boy and said to him, “Am I a dog that you come at me with sticks?” Then he cursed David by his own gods. David said, “You have come against me with sword, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel. This day, the Lord will deliver you into my hands, the whole world will know there is a God in Israel. All gathered will know it is not by sword the LORD saves, for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give all of you into our hands.” The Philistine moved closer to attack him. David ran to the battle line to meet him. He took out a stone, slung it and struck the Philistine in the forehead. He fell face down to the ground and David triumphed was slinging stone without a sword and killed him.
When we are confident in God it does not matter our age, what others feel about us, or what we have. God will use what we have, even if the stones in our life are small, he can use them to defeat our greatest fears and giants. We are human and there will be times we do not feel competent. The beauty is God still has our backs in the weakness to pick us right back up into our confidence that comes directly from Him. 2 Chronicles 13:12 tells us if we fight against God, we will not succeed. Proverbs 21:30 says, “No wisdom, insight or plan can succeed against God.” You can have confidence knowing if someone does defy you because of God, it is impossible for them to truly succeed.
You may feel you are in a smaller role than you wanted in your life, whether it be through your job, a clinical, internship, or not being on the team you wanted to be on. Remember, where we are is not always our end goal. Sometimes where we are does not make sense to accomplish our main goal God has put on our hearts, but we never know how God could be using it. In school and college, there are many general classes we need to take in the moment. We may feel frustrated and feel it may not be helping us with our specific major or career choice. However, if you are taking them, God will not leave them without purpose and preparation in ways you may not understand at the time.
Another example that I love is Joseph at the end of Genesis, when he has the dream his brothers are bowing down to him. He probably thought God was going to make him a ruler or a leader immediately, and all would align to achieve this goal. I bet he was surprised when his path to get there was a little more messy than he would have liked. He was thrown into a pit by his brothers out of jealousy and sold into slavery. He was thrown into prison from being falsely accused of trying to sleep with Potiphar’s wife, which is who he was a slave of at the time. He was forgotten about in prison, but God was with him preparing him every step of the way. Potiphar’s household was blessed by the way Joseph served him. Joseph was made in charge with the prison guards, even though he was a prisoner himself. Eventually Pharaoh needed him to interpret his dream, which made his vision of being a ruler come true, and not just a ruler, but one of the greatest over Egypt. God was with him every step of the way because Joseph continued to serve and have confidence in God, even in the rough parts of his journey. His faith and his confidence were rewarded, in the end as God prepared him.
Pray about your goals, then go confidently toward them knowing God is on your side- if whatever you are doing is to glorify Him. Philippians 4:13 says “I know I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Job 42:1-2 says “Then Job replied to the Lord, I know that you can do all things. No purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Lamentations 3:37-39 says, “Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come? Why should the living complain when punished for their sense?” We have confidence knowing God is an absolute.
God is either completely in control or he is not. The answer is He is. Isaiah 44:8 says, “Do not tremble. Do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago?” Everything He has predicted in His Word has come to be. Isaiah 14:24 says, “Surely as I have planned so it will be and as I have purposed, so it will happen.” Confidence comes from understanding regardless of our downfalls, mistakes, and shortcomings, He will use us and our imperfections for His perfect purpose. Isaiah 14:26-27 says, “This is the plan determined for the whole world. This is the hand stretched out over the nation’s for the Lord Almighty has purposed and who can thwart Him, His hand is stretched out and who can turn it back.” No one can get in the way of His plans, not your imperfections and not those who purposefully try to stop His goodness.
Think of Jesus- Satan, Judas, the Pharisees, chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin thought they could get rid of Jesus by crucifying Him. God used what the enemy meant for evil and turned it out for good, our ultimate salvation, the greatest good of all time. Isaiah 25:1 says,” Lord, You are my God. I will exalt you and praise your name for in perfect faithfulness You have done wonderful things planned long ago.” He has perfect faithfulness. We can be confident knowing He is faithful to us and for us. Isaiah 46:9-11 says, “Remember the former things, those have long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, “my purpose will stand, and I will do what I please.” From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; that I have planned, that I will do.” He makes known the end from the beginning and has seen the entire story of mankind and the world before He created it in His sovereignty. He created the world in love by His perfect wisdom. We acquire confidence from remembering who God is from long ago, and how He is the same God today.
All right, now you may be saying, Lexi, I have tried to have confidence and failed to accomplish my goal, my dream, my deepest desire. Maybe you didn’t get into the school you wanted to. You didn’t get the degree. You didn’t get that relationship. You didn’t make the team. You feel like you failed. My advice to these questions? Get back up right now, as you are reading this. God will use every failure; making you and even your situation better if you let Him. Have you ever snowboarded? Talk about needing to get back up when every ounce of your body hurts. I fell almost as much as I got back up. If you don’t continue to get back up and pray, you would never make it down the hill. This is actually a command from God that we get back up. Proverbs 24:16 says, “For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again”.
It is easy to let others take away your confidence. When I finally think I have my confidence under control, it would just take a professor, a teacher, a coach, coworker, or other person in general to question me; then I would immediately start to question myself. I would then remember what others think about me, or when Satan brings self-doubt into our heads, it is not the truth. Satan is powerful, but God is more. Even David felt doubt when King Saul questioned his abilities. David had to refocus his confidence in the Lord; the Truth. If you have God, you are always on the winning team.
Leviticus 26:12-13 says, “I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.” Confidence means keeping your head held high with good posture. Psalm 3:2-3 says “Many are saying of me God will not deliver him. But you Lord, our shield around me, my glory, the one who lifts my head high.”
I actually do not necessarily agree with the phrase “do not care what others think about you”. Here’s why: ultimately, yes, as we just talked about God’s view of you is the only thing that matters and is completely accurate. However, I do think God does want us to care, to an extent, what others think, in order to show love toward them so they know that they matter. I think we can learn from their critiques, as sometimes there may be some truth behind them. If you say you ultimately never care what others think you are, in a sense, saying they do not matter which I do not think God wants us to portray. If someone says I hurt them, even if I did not have an intention to or maybe even an outsider might think I didn’t mean to hurt them either, the truth is there is still hurt and I should care. Also, if someone questions my abilities, even though they may mean it condescendingly, I can pray to see if there is some truth behind it in order to help me improve, while still keeping my confidence, knowing God can give me the ability to improve while not affecting my worth.
Confidence comes with practice. Of course, you’re not going to feel confident at something you do not practice or at something you are not good at. I wanted to quit volleyball when I first started in fifth grade because I just wasn’t good at it. The more I practiced, the better I got and the more excited I was to play leading me to play in college. When I first took neuroscience in graduate school, I wanted to quit because I didn’t understand the anatomy and physiology behind it. The more I studied, the more confident I felt. When I first became an occupational therapist and upper extremity hand therapist, I would literally feel sick to my stomach to go to work in fear I would hurt someone, and felt that there was just so much I did not know. The more I practice, the better I got and the more excited I was to go to work. I was always fearful when we had a pitcher in softball over 60 miles an hour, until I practice setting that speed with the pitching machine. I was fearful to play guitar when I first picked it up, the more I practiced, the more confident I felt.
The same goes for driving, and for some people…parking. When I first received my license, I had to get my high school really early for an open gym for softball. I had to be there to let everyone in. I arrived extra early while it was still dark. Before the parking lot was plowed. You can probably see I’m already making excuses for what I’m about to say. Open gym ended and I went to my first period math class. Over the speaker I hear “LEXI CAR (that was my license plate), Can you please move your vehicle so our students can get into the parking lot?” My car was parked in such a way it was blocking my entire Division 1 high school from coming in one of our entered entrances by the stoplight. Everyone knew this was my car because of the license plate. After some more driving experiences since you can since, a little more confident in my parking, even though it’s still not always great. I would always be fearful to pray in front of others or even meet with others, when people would want to talk about something really deep or heartfelt topics. I would think well, maybe I can’t help them, or maybe I’ll pray and not know what to say. The more I would just meet with others out of genuine love for them and the more I would pray, the more confident I became.
Practice also needs prayer. Before the game, before work, before meeting with others, and just before the day, I would pray for God’s confidence, guidance, and to be my hands and mouth. Praying in front of others seems to be something a lot of people get intimidated by even though we all know prayer is just talking to God like He is our best friend. It is funny to say, but I would literally pray personally about praying in front of others, that it would be genuine instead of saying what I wanted others to hear or think about me, and would just talk to God like normal. God answered, and I encourage you to do the same.
I want you to think of the best version of God. Now understand He is bigger, more powerful, and more than what you just imagined. Not only is He more, but He is more than anything we can comprehend. Ecclesiastes 8:17 says “Then I saw all that the Lord has done, no one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, knowing can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know they cannot really comprehend it.” Are you confident yet in God’s power? Not only his power, but his willingness to help you believe in yourself? The very One who created you believes in you, the One we can’t even comprehend how powerful He is. You can have this faith!
Hebrews 11:5-12 says “By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and he rewards those who earnestly seek him. by faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became hair of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.”
It is easy to lose our confidence when we cannot see the future, but our confidence comes from the faith we have that God will act and do the impossible. Abraham and his wife, Sarah were past childbearing age, and it seemed impossible, but God promised Abraham he would have as many descendants as stars in the sky. Confidence and faith came not from their situations, but God’s faithfulness. Hebrews 11:17-19 continues to say, “By faith, Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises, was about to sacrifice his one and only Son, even though God had said to him, it was through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead. So in a manner of speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.” Abraham had faith, even though God asked him to sacrifice his only son. I think at the time, Abraham knew this was totally out of God’s character because God gives us life. He literally commands us not to murder, yet he followed through and listened to Him because he reasoned that God could even raise the dead. I think he also had confidence because of God’s complete character in the situation, and that trumped the situation that he was in. God did prove himself faithful, per usual, and right before Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, God provided a ram in his son Isaac’s place and told Abraham He was testing His faith.
Hebrews 11:20-40 continues to say “By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. By faith, Jacob when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones. By faith, Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born because they saw he was no ordinary child. They were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith, Moses, when he had grown up refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith, he left Egypt not fearing the king’s anger. He persevered because he saw Him who was invisible. By faith, he kept the Passover in the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. By faith, the people pass through the Red Sea as on dry land. But when the Egyptians tried to do so they were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell after the army had marched around them for seven days. By faith, the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies was not killed, but those who are disobedient. What more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Brack, Samson, Jeptha, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who, through faith, conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised. Who shut the mouths of lions, clench the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword, whose weakness was turned to strength and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead raised to life again. There were others who are tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced cheers and flogging and even chains and imprisonment, they are put to death by stoning, they were sawed in two, killed by the sword. They went about in sheep skins and goat skins destitute, persecuted and mistreated. The world was not worthy of them, they wandered in deserts and mountains living in caves and holes in the ground. Yet they were all commended for their faith. Yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us, so that only together with us, would they be made perfect.”
To summarize, faith is staying confident that God will come through. Confidence comes from our faith. The word says how God promised Abraham the Messiah would come from Isaac. Then God tests his faith by us asking him to offer Isaac. Talk about as a human being and not knowing the plan, being confused. However, instead of rationalizing in his human thoughts, cursing God for taking away the son he had been longing for, instead of doubting God’s promise, again, he reckoned that even God could raise the dead. If he is asking him to sacrifice his only Son, that has to be the option. I want us to live in the same way that even when God asks us to have a dream so big, it just doesn’t seem possible. Instead of focusing on all the reasons it doesn’t make sense, we reason that God must have something up his sleeve to pull us through. I have seen God work in this exact way, and I have full confidence he will do the same for you.
All right girls, this one is for you. 1 Peter:3-5, says “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past, who put their hope and God used to adorn themselves.” You will be confident when you are content. This is not saying as girls we cannot get ready with clothes and makeup. It is simply saying do not put your value and your true beauty based on these details. Proverbs 31:30 also says, “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” It is simply recognizing styles and our collagen supply are quickly fleeting. As life goes quick, we need to make sure your beauty comes from our fear of the Lord, our inner self, a gentle and quiet spirit; as a wife submitting to our husbands like Sarah. Ezekiel 16:14 says, “And your fame spread among the nations and account of your beauty, because of the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect declares the Sovereign Lord.” This verse is God talking about Jerusalem, but He uses Jerusalem as an example of His bride. God has made you so beautiful. You can be confident, actually confident, in your beauty because you were hand designed to the very last detail. If you ever question anything about your looks, and this goes to everyone, men and women, God, the Creator of the universe, we can’t even wrap our minds around, hand designed you.
Our age also should not affect our confidence. Jeremiah 1:6-10, “Alas, Sovereign Lord, I said, I do not know how to speak, I am too young. But the Lord said to me, Do not say I am too young. You must go to everyone I will send to you and say whatever I command you, do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you declares the Lord. Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, I have put my words in your mouth. See today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” 1 Timothy 4:12 says, “Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. In Psalm 119:9-10 “How can a young person stay on that path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart.” Proverbs 1:1-6 which says “The book of Proverbs provides knowledge and discretion for the young.”
Even if we are young, with a relationship with God, he will put the words we need in our mouths if we let Him. Many asked how we can stand the right path even when we are young. The answer is the word of God. How fortunate are we that it is clearly stated. I have been there, whether in grade school, high school, college and today being called out for aspects of being a believer. But guess who people come to first when they’re in trouble? When you have Christ and have stability in your life, people see the difference, or should I say the saltiness or genuineness in you, and know they can come to you when they’re at their lowest. This is why it is important to love on people, and stay confident in your faith. This does not mean to go and join someone who does not believe at the strip club, but you can join them at the gym or sporting events, a game night or have them over for dinner.
Psalm 71:5-8 says, “For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth. From birth I have relied on you; You brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you. I have become a sign to many; you are my strong refuge. My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.” God can be your hope and confidence from the beginning, no matter your age. Psalm 89:19 says “Once you’ve spoken a vision to your faithful people, you said I have bestowed strength of a warrior. I have raised a young man from among the people.” God loves using all ages.
Luke 46: 52 says “Jesus was 12 when he was in the temple courts listening and asking the teachers questions. They were amazed at his understanding and answers. His parents were looking for him and he replied saying they should have known he would be in his father’s house. However, he did go to Nazareth with them, when they asked him to.” Do you still feel like you are too young to be confident? Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man ever since He was little. 2 Chronicles 24:1 says “Joash was seven years old when he became king…” 2 Chronicles 24:2 says “Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.” 2 Chronicles 34:1-2 says “Josiah was eight when he became king and he reigned in Jerusalem 31 years. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.”.
Unbeknownst to contrary belief, just because you are young does not mean you do not know much. Yes, there is definitely something to say about experience for advice and I will always emphasize complete respect for anyone older than you. God even says in Proverbs 21:11, “by paying attention to the wise they get knowledge.” I argue part of your confidence when you are young should come from listening to people that are older and wiser than you. I have learned so much at my clinic from my surgeons and therapists who are older than me—mentors in my life, mom and dad, teachers, parents, family, professors, coaches, and friends. I just want you to be confident even if you are young, knowing your identity in Christ. No matter what anyone says about you or your age, you are capable, and I want you to keep your confidence knowing this. Listen to what an older adult is telling you, unless they are telling you something that defies Jesus. Then you are the one who needs to set the example.
Spiritual maturity, many times, can come from obedience as opposed to simply age. I have been in leadership positions in different sport teams, starting graduate school young, and starting my career young when I have been discouraged due to my age and lack of experience. Even though I did not have confidence in myself alone, I know Jesus put me in these positions because He was prepared to equip me. Allowing us to have confidence as He will do the same for you. He has a reason for having us where He needs us at whatever age and time it is. Many feel we do not want to show our confidence because we feel we are being prideful. This is the difference though. When we are prideful, we are thinking only about ourselves. This can take place, either by thinking higher about ourselves, or it could be thinking less of ourselves. Either way we are thinking and making the primary focus on ourselves. We can have confidence while staying humble understanding who God is, and His position in higher superiority over our lives, while also understanding where our position is when it comes to others He has created as well. We can be confident by understanding who we are accurately in Christ without being prideful but trusting in the truth of who He says we are. This will equip us to help others taking the distraction away from ourselves and distinguishing the difference from pride to confidence.
We are His handiwork equipped to glorify His name. Ephesians 2:1-10 says, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” To summarize, we are to work out our salvation, not work for our salvation.
Romans 11:6 says, “And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.” There will be a big difference in your character and life when you work out your salvation knowing you are serving out of love for God our Creator who gave you this free gift as opposed to working for your salvation—which is not possible by the way—out of fear of trying to get to heaven. You were so intentionally designed everything about you, and He delights in you. It was planned exactly how you were to look, where you were to be born, where you were to grow up, who your parents are, the time in history when you were to be, and who is supposed to be in your life during that same time. Do not let this work go to waste.
2 Timothy 2:21 says, “Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.” This should give us confidence! Social media really can affect our self-esteem. I am so disappointed in myself for what I am about to share, but I do need to tell you this story so you do not make the same mistake. Satan prowls online just as he does in our day to day lives. One time, I shared a post for a couple from our church who was looking for a house. I was the first one to share the post. Nobody liked it, not even them. I deleted it. The following Sunday in church, they came up to me so excited, thanking me as I was the first to share. They said me sharing their post demonstrated God’s faithfulness in their struggle and search knowing they can rely on their God, their church family and on me. Talk about complete and total conviction. The kind where it shatters your heart when I realized my own selfishness and pride had me delete a post others could not thank me enough for. Please share what you want, and more importantly, what God wants you to regardless of the likes or comments. Maybe you will share something on your heart nobody likes but you have no idea who it can affect. Be confident not in how others respond to your posts, but in your motivation behind the posts. We cannot control others. If we feel what we are sharing is pleasing to God and going to motivate others, I am asking you to please share it and to be confident when you do it.
Judges 4:14 says, “Then Deborah said to Barak, ‘Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?’” We can have confidence knowing God is past, present, and future all the time, even today. What we are going to face today, He is already there. What we are going to face tomorrow, He is already there. What we are going to face in ten years from now, He is already there. 2 Samuel 7:3 and 1 Chronicles 7:2 says, “Nathan replied to the king, ‘Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.’” We can have confidence knowing where we are is where God has called us to be and that He’s always going to be with us. 1 Chronicles 14:17 and 2 Samuel 5:10 says, “So David’s fame spread throughout every land, and the Lord made all the nations fear him.” Deuteronomy 26:19 says, “He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised.” 2 Chronicles 32:7-8 says, “’Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.’ And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah king of Judah said.” God wants us to be strong and courageous because He has won, and we are on His team. No one can overcome Him. He gives us the ability to be bold, even in the midst of our greatest insecurities and persecutions. Proverbs 28:1 says, “The righteous are as bold as a lion.”
Job 5:17 says, “Blessed is the one whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.” Ah, discipline, something as human beings we naturally try to avoid, as it does not make us feel adequate or like we are, “the best.” The key is actually learning to accept and maybe even dare I say, to start to like discipline. In order to like it, it is to realize who is correcting you. If God is correcting you, you know it will end for your good and how He is developing your character and skills. He can also use correction from others with more experience in our lives, or those who care about us to develop the same character. As an athlete, discipline from practice is what grows your skills and mindset to be ready to compete when it’s game time. Psalm 94:9-13 says, “Does he who fashioned the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see? Does he who disciplines nations not punish? Does he who teaches mankind lack knowledge? The Lord knows all human plans; he knows that they are futile. Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord, the one you teach from your law; you grant them relief from days of trouble…” Discipline actually will end up bringing you relief from trouble, even though you initially feel in trouble while it is happening.
Proverbs 10:17 says, “Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.” If we pay attention to discipline and accept correction, it will only make you better. If someone is disciplining you with what you may feel are wrong motives, even if their heart is in it to bring you down, the amazing thing is God can still use their critique and discipline to help you. The key is praying and asking God if what the individual says about you is true. For example, if someone says you are selfish, you should not take what they say to heart in the sense that you are never defined by someone else’s words but pray that God may show you out of love from our Father, that maybe you have been caring more about yourself than others lately. Proverbs 12:1 says, “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.” Pretty blunt. It is a lie the enemy gives that you are inadequate if someone corrects you—that is not true. We will be corrected our entire lives as there is always more to learn and always someone who is able to teach and help us grow. Whether it is for our career, sports, hobbies, or life in general. The key is actually learning to love the discipline.
Understanding this love comes from the desire to want to grow and be better to help further God’s kingdom. I have found this as the only way to love discipline. Otherwise, to be honest, I would just get annoyed and angry with anyone who is correcting me if I did not feel this way whether it be from a coach, someone I love, teacher, colleague, co-worker, spouse, or parents. When you understand it is actually something God desires for you, knowing He wants to use it to help you, you will accept the command. Proverbs 10:8 says, “The wise in heart accept commands…” Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 13:13 says, “Whoever scorns instruction will pay for it, but whoever respects a command is rewarded.” Proverbs 13:18 says, “Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.”
If you continue your entire life thinking you know everything and do not desire to be corrected and learn, you will stay where you are now. It could possibly keep you from getting that job that spot on the team or that relationship you desire. When you heed correction and desire it, many times it can lead you to positions you desire, or more importantly, positions in life God desires for you. Whether this is with relationships and your family, your church, your team, or your job. Proverbs 16:20 says, “Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.” Desiring instruction and trusting the Lord go hand in hand. Many times when we are instructed, we are trying something new we are not comfortable with, which goes back to needing to have confidence. God wants us to desire discipline and trust his plan through it.
Psalm 27:3 says, “…though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.” Psalm 27:13-14 says, “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Confidence does not come naturally, but it is possible even in the midst of wars. The key is waiting on the Lord and knowing His goodness. Isaiah 32:17-20 says, “The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. Though hail flattens the forest and the city is leveled completely, how blessed you will be…” Here God promises people can live in confidence and peace but did not mean that our lives will be rid of the hail. However, through the storms of this life, we can be sure of having confidence in him.
Matthew 17:19-21 says, “Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, ‘Why couldn’t we drive it out?’” And here they are talking about a demon in an individual. And Jesus replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Then a boy’s father asked Jesus if he could drive out a demon from his son. Mark 9:23-34, Jesus starts by saying, “If you can? Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’’ Jesus then healed the man’s son from the demon that was possessing him. I love how Jesus answers his request as the Father humbled Himself, realizing he did not have the belief he should, but asking for help with his unbelief. That is what God is looking for guys. Doubts will always creep into our heads, you are not alone. They can and will be overcome through continued prayer and for God to help us see past the unbelief. Keeping our eyes on Him and asking Him to strengthen our faith. We are never going to be perfect as Jesus was in a complete and full trust in God without a doubt. However, even with the doubt, if we continue in the direction He has called us, we are saying that we have faith. He will pull through for us no matter what the outcome is because of our faith that is a small as a mustard seed.
Jesus has a parable for those who are confident in their own righteousness or their pride, look down on everyone else. In Luke 18:9-14, there were “two men that went to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.” Pharisees were seen as the religious leaders in Jesus’s day and the tax collectors were overall except for a few exceptions, very corrupt. They were seen as people that would take more than what was owed for taxes. They would steal money and say people owed more than they needed to so that they could earn more money. The Pharisee thanked God, very pridefully in the temple. When he was praying, he thanked God that he was not like other evil people who rob, are adulterers, or like the tax collector next to him. Like he literally prayed thanking God that he was not like the person next to him. He went on to God about how he fasts and gives a 10th of his money. Then the tax collector could not even look up to heaven and simply said, “Lord, have mercy on me, I am a sinner.” Jesus said, the tax collector was the one justified before God. “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Emphasis on confidence is not pride. Confidence is sure of the perfection of our Maker, who has called us to His purposes in this life that we are able to fulfill through Him. We can admit we are a sinner, and we can humble ourselves; He will lift us up. If we are self-righteous and if what we think is “confident,” it could actually be pride, we can be sure that he will humble us. John 9:24-33 talks about the Pharisees and how they claimed that Jesus was a sinner. However, the blind man that Jesus helped to see said “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” I love this because it reminds me of how people may try to take away your confidence in Christ, by saying things such as you can’t see Him or how can you really know He exists? How can you put your confidence in Him? My response would be, ‘I was blind, but now I see. My heart was desiring evil but now it wants what is best for others around me and it helps me to genuinely love others.’ I was not sure of my purpose or what life was about wandering in sin and confusion, but now I know exactly why I am here, what is to come after in this life and the life to come.
The Pharisees kept questioning and the man who was blind said, “Do you want to be His disciples too? Then they hurled insults at him and said, ‘You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses!’…” The man said, “…you don’t know where he came from, yet he opened my eyes. We know God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will….If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” We know Jesus is God because only God can change our hearts; help us genuinely love others; and have confidence in a world that consistently tries to break us down, take our confidence away, and says that we are less than. John 15:1-6 says that Jesus is the vine, His father is the gardener. He cuts off any branch that does not bear fruit but prunes those that are producing fruit to multiply. He says remain in me and I will remain in you because you cannot bear fruit on your own. Apart from Him, you can do nothing. If you do not remain in Him, you will begin to wither and be tossed into the fire.
Jesus does not want you in misery but wants to prune your current self to give you a new life, a better life. We cannot do this on our own. We do not bear fruit by trying harder or giving more of ourselves but by abiding in Him. If you try to please people, you will be running around in circles and stressed out your whole life. Try to please God and you will find rest for your soul. Jesus simply wants you out of just pure love for you. 2 Corinthians 3:4-5 says, “Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.” In the book of Ephesians, Paul says we get to serve the gospel, by God’s gift of grace through His power. He says although he is the least of the Lord’s people—and trust me, I feel the same way—he gets to share the boundless riches of Christ, making plain the mystery. God’s intent is through the church. His wisdom will be made known in heaven and on earth according to his eternal purpose He accomplished in Jesus. We get to approach God with freedom and with confidence because of this! Paul says not to be discouraged from his sufferings which are for our glory.
2 Thessalonians 2:13-15 says that Paul wants us to stand firm and hold fast to the teachings whether by word of mouth or writings. Hebrews 3:6 says, “But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.” Hebrews 10:32-35 says that you may be publicly insulted with persecution and other times you will stand by those treated this way. Joyfully accept this confiscation of your property because—why, that’s not natural for us to do right, so why—because you know that you have a better and lasting possession. Never throw away your confidence, it will be richly rewarded. 1 John 3:19-22 says, “This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence. If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases Him.” When we confess our sins to God, we can be confident He is righteous, and just to forgive us. Isaiah 36:4-5 says, “…this is what the great king, the king of Assyria says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours? You say you have counsel and might for war—but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me?”
When he asked this question—when people ask you where you get your confidence from, if you reply, Jesus, you will always have a sure basis that no one, no one can argue. He is eternal. No one can take Him or your confidence away. Matthew 13:54-55 says when Jesus taught people couldn’t believe he was the carpenter’s son because he was so wise. In Acts 4:13, others could not believe the courage of Peter and John when they realized they were unschooled, “ordinary men”, but then they realize they had been with Jesus. Matthew 13:58, says, “And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.” Even as I write, sometimes I feel hesitant as to what others would think knowing that I am no theologian; however, my confidence comes from knowing that I am a daughter of the King. Though I waver and do it imperfectly, my life goal is to try and fulfill the duty and purpose He has placed on my life and heart. I can be confidence because I am His and you are too! We can be confident we are loved; confident we are enough in Him; confident He has blessed us with gifts and talents He desires to use for us and others; confident He will always use us to fulfill His purpose no matter our mistakes and downfalls; confident no matter how impossible the task looks before us. We can be absolutely confident in Jesus, His guidance, His strength, and His grace living inside of us. Let’s live with this confidence today!
