What does it mean to be honestly Confident
What does a confident person look like and what makes them confident? I recently had a friend who felt like they lost themselves (no it wasn't me this time). She was so angry and disappointed in the whole world that she thought that she would never be happy again. In that moment I wondered "Lord I know this person. She is so amazing, and there is no way that she should be in this condition. Why is this happening to her?" I talked to her about changing her mindset so that she could then pursue herself, but it broke my heart to see her like that. I pray for every woman or man who is going through this right now. I have felt like I was losing myself so often in the last few years that I almost couldn't take seeing it in this person that I love so much. This is not how God's women are suppose to live, but sometimes life circumstances get right in your face and challenges you to duke it out. For me it is a daily fight, and I don't always win because I forget to pull my winning card.
The Bible says that what causes us to defeat the world is our FAITH. Our belief in who we are in Christ defeats any card that the world can play. It is the belief that no weapon formed against us shall prosper, that all things are working for our good because we love God, that God will not suffer the righteous to be moved, and that we ARE the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. There are many "confident" people out there who are standing on their faith in themselves, and while I won't say it is a bad thing I will say that it is a risky thing. A puffed up chest, stuck out chin, freshly styled hairdue, or new outfit don't guarantee success. Not even a winning personality or smooth communication skills can assure you for long. All you have to experience is one failure and the premise that you are invincible falls apart. The Bible says that pride comes before a fall, and I have found that to be painfully true. The minute I think that I have everything under control something happens to change the game. This brings me to my criteria for honest and sustaining confidence.
Confidence should be humble, fail safe, diligent, loving, and grateful. I came up with these criteria based on people in the Bible and the many counterfit confidences that have popped up in my life. They are not scientific or even backed by scholarly discussions, but I believe this to be true. I picked humility first because confidence doesn't search for an audience. Confident people don't need to constantly be approved of by everyone they encounter nor do they need to look down on others. I picked fail safe not to say that the confident person won't experience failure, but to say that failure which happens to everyone doesn't define them. I say that confidence is diligent because confident people are willing and ready to use their skills and refine them. I say that confident people should be loving because they don't see others as dangerous to their status, and are therefore more open to receiving others and authentically encouraging others. Lastly I say that confident people are grateful because they know that they didn't achieve their current level of personal success alone. This is what I consider honest confidence.
So how does one get to this point of true confidence? My answer is Jesus. True confidence is understanding that everything great about us comes from God and was redeemed by Jesus. It is knowing that even when we mess up God never messes up and he can make things work out. It is knowing that our skills are not just for us to enjoy but for us to make a difference in the world. It is knowing that the same God who created us created everyone else too, and they are special to God. It is knowing that we are blessed and highly favored of the Lord. The Bible uses three words that I think define confidence perfectly: Faith, Hope, and Charity.
Here is great scripture that I am going to use to remind me of the power of a redeemed perspective.
Romans chapter 5 verses 1-5.
The Bible says that what causes us to defeat the world is our FAITH. Our belief in who we are in Christ defeats any card that the world can play. It is the belief that no weapon formed against us shall prosper, that all things are working for our good because we love God, that God will not suffer the righteous to be moved, and that we ARE the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. There are many "confident" people out there who are standing on their faith in themselves, and while I won't say it is a bad thing I will say that it is a risky thing. A puffed up chest, stuck out chin, freshly styled hairdue, or new outfit don't guarantee success. Not even a winning personality or smooth communication skills can assure you for long. All you have to experience is one failure and the premise that you are invincible falls apart. The Bible says that pride comes before a fall, and I have found that to be painfully true. The minute I think that I have everything under control something happens to change the game. This brings me to my criteria for honest and sustaining confidence.
Confidence should be humble, fail safe, diligent, loving, and grateful. I came up with these criteria based on people in the Bible and the many counterfit confidences that have popped up in my life. They are not scientific or even backed by scholarly discussions, but I believe this to be true. I picked humility first because confidence doesn't search for an audience. Confident people don't need to constantly be approved of by everyone they encounter nor do they need to look down on others. I picked fail safe not to say that the confident person won't experience failure, but to say that failure which happens to everyone doesn't define them. I say that confidence is diligent because confident people are willing and ready to use their skills and refine them. I say that confident people should be loving because they don't see others as dangerous to their status, and are therefore more open to receiving others and authentically encouraging others. Lastly I say that confident people are grateful because they know that they didn't achieve their current level of personal success alone. This is what I consider honest confidence.
So how does one get to this point of true confidence? My answer is Jesus. True confidence is understanding that everything great about us comes from God and was redeemed by Jesus. It is knowing that even when we mess up God never messes up and he can make things work out. It is knowing that our skills are not just for us to enjoy but for us to make a difference in the world. It is knowing that the same God who created us created everyone else too, and they are special to God. It is knowing that we are blessed and highly favored of the Lord. The Bible uses three words that I think define confidence perfectly: Faith, Hope, and Charity.
Here is great scripture that I am going to use to remind me of the power of a redeemed perspective.
Romans chapter 5 verses 1-5.
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