By Chris WittsThursday 24 Oct 2024Morning Devotions with Chris WittsFaithReading Time: 1 minute
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Transcript:
One of the areas of my life I regret is not having more confidence. As a child and teenager, I was very shy, preferring to step back and mingle with the crowd. I just lacked the confidence to step forward, and that was hard, seeing I went to a private boarding school with high expectations of its students. Today I’m better, but still need to work on it.
How do you cope with your level of personal confidence? Self-confidence can be defined as a belief in one’s abilities and maintaining a sense of competence. On the other hand, low self-confidence can be defined as a lack of faith in one’s abilities and competence. And that’s where the problem often lies. At high school I was made the cricket scorer, because I was scared of being hit by the cricket ball—and lacked confidence in my own ability to play cricket. It was all rather embarrassing.
When lack of confidence spins out of control
Everyone experiences a lack of confidence from time to time. Have you ever had those days when nothing seems to go right? You spill your morning coffee. You’re late for an important meeting. You get home only to find you’ve locked yourself out and need to climb through a window.
It feels like one thing after another and by the end of the day, you can’t help but toss up your hands in defeat. It’s days like those that leave us less confident and questioning our self-worth. It can be quite a complicated business. A lack of confidence can look very different on different people, depending on the circumstances. Some people lack confidence in their personal appearance. Others lack confidence in their ability to voice their opinions. Others lack confidence in their abilities.
Of course, no-one is confident all the time. And it’s totally normal to feel less than stellar every once in a while.
But what happens when you begin to doubt yourself at every turn? You second guess your decisions. You feel reluctant to take action. You feel uncomfortable in your own skin. When a lack of confidence spins out of control, it can really affect your quality of life. And knowing where your doubts and fears come from is the first step in reclaiming the power that’s naturally and inherently yours.
After all, how can you find fulfilment if you’re unsure every second of the day? Have you ever been in a meeting and had what could be a great idea, but felt hesitant to share it? Or have you pulled away from what could have been a good friendship due to a feeling of insecurity? Our shyness, fears and insecurities can hold us back and keep us from achieving our full potentials in all aspects of our lives. We may see others who are able to handle situations like public speaking or approaching others calmly and wish we could be like them.
However, if we don’t see these qualities in ourselves, it can be hard to believe that we can ever develop them and be as good. Confidence isn’t a feeling, it’s a belief. It’s the belief and affirmation that you are valuable, worthwhile and capable, with some optimism added in, to help you be certain of your abilities and act courageously.
Your value comes from your creator
Do you have a negative view of yourself? Your value is not defined in what the world says you are. God created you in his own image and he wants you to value yourself the way he sees you. He is a God of immense love and tender mercy. He knows our faults and wishes. There is Christian confidence that helps us a great deal. I like to call it ‘God confidence’. Put your trust in him, not yourself. He will help you be more confident.
Renee Swope says, “Self-confidence has limited potential but God-confidence has unlimited possibility!” Then in the Bible, the Prophet Isaiah says:
You will keep in perfect peace
those whose minds are steadfast,
because they trust in you. (Isaiah 26:3 -NIV)
Trust God. He can do more for you in one second than you can do in a lifetime.
There is a peace and comfort that God gives that the most loving mother could never give. Put your confidence in him. Even a close friend can say things about you and that can bring your confidence down. That is why God is to be our only confidence. He never fails. Is there anything too hard for God? God can do more for you in one second than you can do in a lifetime. Trust in him. Get closer to his presence. Seek him. He will deliver you.
God has always been my confidence even when there were small doubts. Get to know him and your trust in him will increase. Spend time with him in prayer. When you’re confident in the Lord you will be confident in other areas in your life.
Write down this Bible verse to help you: “The man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence indeed is the LORD, is blessed.” (Jeremiah 17:7 – HCSB)