I have reflected a lot about confidence over the last few years. Growing up, I think we are taught that confidence is this outward portrayal of strength, whether genuine or not. As someone who grew up shy and reserved, I always felt like I needed to muster up this bravado to show my confidence. Even in doing things I was confident in, it was evident that I needed to portray the image of confidence that was demonstrated to me by the outside world. Confidence always appeared to be loud, so self-assured, and even at times arrogant. But as I began to grow closer to God I wondered what it would look like to build Godly confidence and if that was even possible.
Read Me Next! – What Is Confidence?
The Evolution Of My Confidence Journey
Confidence has evolved for me over the last few years. I wrote this in my notes app back in 2021.
“I am learning that confidence is the awareness and acceptance of all of who I am in the different seasons of my life. What I consider to be strengths and weaknesses. The acknowledgement of growth and the commitment to change even in the face of adversity. It is the willingness to let go of perfection and embrace the journey.“
It may appear weird to say you are confident knowing you have weaknesses. However, I don’t think it’s odd when you know where your confidence comes from and you know WHO your foundation is. The world tells us that our confidence is defined by our success, diligence, and strength. So how can we be confident even in weakness? I believe our weaknesses have less to do with us and more about who God is.
”But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.“
Our weakness is not a sentence to failure but rather an opportunity to submit and surrender to God. Ultimately, confidence is the fruit of vulnerability. When we are vulnerable enough to acknowledge and accept that in our humanity we are weak, we build the confidence to put our trust in God. When we discover who God is, we uncover who we are. Because we were created by God and for a purpose. Your purpose is found in Him. Your strength is found in Him. Therefore, you can trust that the journey that life is taking you on is for your good because you are confident in Him. And unlike the world, it is not produced from a false sense of self. No, Godly confidence is built from the truth of who you were created to be.
A New Perspective On Confidence
It can feel unnatural to get excited when faced with challenges or when we see a flawed reflection of ourselves. But when I sit and think about the growth that will be produced, the testimony that will be told, and the comfort and wisdom that God will give, I have a new perspective on what confidence is. Godly confidence humbles you, inspires you to live with excellence, and invites you into the arms of God. True confidence is found in the one who is eternal and through Him we can do all things He has called us to do. That is powerful. That is beautiful.
Scripture To Meditate On
“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”
“Does papyrus grow where there is no marsh? Do reeds flourish without water? While still uncut shoots, they would dry up quicker than any other plant. Such is the destiny of all who forget God; the hope of the godless will perish. His source of confidence is fragile; what he trusts in is a spider’s web. He leans on his web, but it doesn’t stand firm. He grabs it, but it does not hold up. He is a well-watered plant in the sunshine; his shoots spread out over his garden. His roots are intertwined around a pile of rocks. He looks for a home among the stones. If he is uprooted from his place, it will deny knowing him, saying, “I never saw you.”
“If I placed my confidence in gold or called fine gold my trust, if I have rejoiced because my wealth is great or because my own hand has acquired so much, if I have gazed at the sun when it was shining or at the moon moving in splendor, so that my heart was secretly enticed and I threw them a kiss, this would also be an iniquity deserving punishment, for I would have denied God above.”
With Love,
Tamara
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Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
