Where Do You Place Your Confidence?

Where do you place your confidence? There is only one place we can lay our confidence.

There was nothing I could do but sit and stare out the window while an acquaintance, who is a Christian, told how good she was at something. When I heard I’m that good, I shivered as if the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard were being played. The conversation was one way because she would not have liked what I had to say about it, so I kept my mouth closed.

Where Do You Place Your Confidence?

While I have a good amount of self-confidence, I don’t boast about it. I have never been one to not do something because I was fearful to try. If I want to do something, I try it. If I don’t succeed, depending on what it is, I may wait a little while before trying again. While growing up, I heard the statement “you never know what you can do until you try”. I was also taught the little saying,

“Tis a lesson you should heed: Try, try, try again. If at first you don't succeed, Try, try, try again.”

Those who know me, know I will never say the words I’m that good, just watch and see what I can do, or

I’ve got this. My confidence doesn’t lie in my ability, but in God’s ability. While there are things I can do, God gave me the ability to do them.

Without Him working through me, I can’t do anything.

Having self-confidence is essential.

Without it, as Christians, we will fall victim to the lies Satan tells us each day. But if we are not careful, our self-confidence can bring about arrogance and pride. Once our eyes are off God and on our own strength that becomes a serious problem. A proud heart is one of 6 things God hates according to Proverbs 6:16-19.

Without God, we can't do anything in our own strength.

King Nebuchadnezzar's heart became hard with pride, God humbled him in such a way that has not been seen since. Living as a wild animal would be a humbling experience for anyone. (Daniel 5:20-21)

People praised King Herod for being a god and not a man. Because Herod said nothing to take the light off of himself and an angel quickly killed him and worms ate him. (Acts 12:19-25) God is extremely jealous when we don’t give Him the glory He is due and He will oppose those who refuse to give it. (I Peter 5:5)

Being humble is a must. 

When we humble ourselves, God will lift us up. (I Peter 5:6, James 4:10) He will work through us in a great and mighty way. All we have to do is surrender ourselves and let God work. God promises to give us the power we need (Acts 1:7-8) and He will never leave us (Hebrews 13:5).

We should take a healthy dose of humility each day.

Several days later, I was talking with another person. When I said, “I don’t have confidence in my ability to do this thing, but I have confidence in the Lord’s ability, He’s the One that will work through me,” the other person looked at me as if I grew a second head. Her words enamored me, “you have a low self-esteem, tell no one know you feel that way". Those words came from a fellow Christian and I'm still shaking my head in disbelief.

There is only one place we can lay our confidence. Where do you place your confidence? In yourself or in God?