By Chris WittsSaturday 14 Sep 2024Morning Devotions with Chris WittsFaithReading Time: 1 minute
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Transcript:
There’s no doubt that life is full of challenges of one kind or another—we can’t escape this. The interesting thing is that some people appear to meet the challenges with confidence, while others struggle. Why is that?
Maybe your background has something to do with it—and resilience is another factor. You could be the type who bounces back quite easily. Others not so. I think most of us are capable of achieving something significant in life, but we get held back—we may be fearful of moving ahead. We lack the confidence to take a step forward.
Self-confidence is a personal matter—an inner feeling that we can face today and the world we live in, with some degree of confidence. It’s what we believe that matters, regardless of what others think about you. And does it really matter what they think anyway? We talk about the energy level to accomplish a personal goal or dream, in spite of the obstacles. I find it very interesting that when you’re confident in yourself, others will be confident in you as well. New opportunities will open up.
Are you doubting yourself?
I’m sure you know that doubt is the opposite of confidence—if you have serious doubts about your own abilities, you will be limited. Many of us are afraid to go further in life, for fear of failure. And it’s difficult for others to put their confidence in you if you doubt yourself.
How is your self-esteem? Is the past a problem for you? If you’ve repeatedly failed, it will be harder to become confident—so don’t allow the past or the present to rob your confidence. You may have had painful experiences years ago, perhaps growing up, or you feel crushed. But did you know God promises us a bright future? Our recent trials are not permanent.
What about your close friends? Are you prepared to ask for honest feedback from them? Those precious people who can talk with you in those quiet, private moments. They respect and look up to you—that’s a big help and potential boost to your self confidence.
What about self-talk? This is the communications no-one else sees or hears—silent conversations with yourself. If you say, I’m an idiot; no-one is going to believe in me, you’re hardly going to feel very positive about yourself. What are you expecting in life anyway? Are you realistic or trying to be perfect? This is not going to work. Don’t set yourself up for failure. Try and have a more reasonable expectation of self.
God has promised in the Bible to turn your situation around. Who wants to face each day with confusion? One of our problems is that in our instantaneous modern society we expect everything to be quick and easy. If something isn’t resolved quickly we leave it and move on to something else.
It’s difficult for us to have the patience to stay with a problem until we see a breakthrough, and that’s why we need God’s help. It says in Isaiah 41:10:
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
God never is in a hurry. He never quits or runs out of patience. He will deal with us about one particular thing, and then he will let us rest for a while—but never for too long. Soon he will begin to work on something else. He will continue until, one by one, our knots are all untied. When it seems that we’re not making any progress, it’s because the Lord is patiently untying our knots one at a time.
Building up your God-confidence
In our haste we may be looking at the knot we want to be untied rather than all the others that have already been untangled. It may be hard, and it may take time, but if we will commit ourselves to the process of getting well, sooner or later we will see victory in our life and experience the freedom we have desired for so long.
The important thing to remember is: no matter how long it takes, never give up. Try and put your confidence in God, not yourself. Confidence radiates from a deep centre—from knowing that you are valuable. And when you know you’re valuable in God’s sight, you can approach him with confidence. It is an attitude, yes, but not one that is based on your own achievements. It is rooted in self-esteem, yet confidence comes from knowing that God is all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present, loving and just.
How do I build up my God-confidence? I do this by choosing to trust him no matter how I feel. When I am lacking in self-confidence, I just keep saying to God, I’m afraid but I choose to trust you in this situation. Eventually my feelings catch up with my choice to trust God.
We also build up God-confidence through experience—by stepping out and practicing faith in God and doing what we believe he wants us to do. As we see God using us, our God-confidence grows. Hebrews 12:2 (CEV) says: “We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete…” Focus your attention on God, not yourself. Seek God with all your heart—he will deal with your fears and lack of self-confidence. We can’t really substitute him with anything or anyone else.
God is your refuge and strength. He won’t always lead you in the way you think—he may surprise you with his plans. Whatever he does in your life is based on his love and care—he will tie up the loose ends if you will trust and believe in him.