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Digging Deeper

The Right Kind of Confidence

By Elizabeth Hightower

"So much pressure is put on us to esteem ourselves…. That is not the sort of thing I want to put my faith in…. Once we have overcome our own desire to be elevated, recognized, independent and all those things that we value very much because we are part of this American culture… then God can use us as a part of His Body to accomplish what the Body of Christ was left here to accomplish." —Rich Mullins

What exactly does it mean to be a "confident" woman? Is she someone who is self-assured and self-reliant? Or is she someone with poise, faith and conviction? In a world that constantly pushes girls and women to display confidence, it can be difficult for Christ-followers to find balance. The Bible has relevant advice for every dilemma—and the question of confidence is no exception. The word confident is used more than 50 times in Scripture, most often referring to either self confidence or God-confidence.

Self-Confidence

Many Christians lose effectiveness in ministry because they upset the delicate balance between humility and assurance of their own value. Sometimes, they become so confident in their abilities that they remove God from the equation: neglecting personal spiritual growth, bragging about accomplishments, failing to give God the credit for successes or even just quietly patting themselves on the back.

Read Philippians 3. In verse 3, Paul defines a true believer as one who worships by the Spirit, glories in Jesus and puts no confidence in self. How important is it to avoid self-confidence based on the context of this Scripture?

Each one of us is God's masterpiece… but is that any reason to be proud or confident in our own abilities? By definition, a masterpiece is the work of a Master and it is He who deserves the recognition for the beauty and function of His creation. Guard against society's message of the need for self-confidence. This kind of mentality will only lead to downfall. List some ways you can remove self-confidence from your life. What should you replace self confidence with?

God-Confidence

Hezekiah is described in Scripture as a king who "trusted in the Lord" and "held fast to the Lord." His confidence was firmly placed in God's strength and care. It was this confidence in God that gave him the courage to stand against violent invaders who threatened God's people.

Read 2 Chronicles 32:1-23. When the king of Assyria decided to attack Jerusalem, he sent ahead his biggest loudmouth to taunt and demoralize the Israelites, questioning the source of their confidence. Hezekiah may have been a bit shaken, but how did he react to the Assyrian threats? How did God respond to Hezekiah's display of faith? What might have happened if Hezekiah's confidence had been placed in
himself rather than in God?

The best thing about God-confidence is that, unlike self-confidence, it will never backfire. You will never be disappointed in God's abilities. You will never have cause to lose faith in Him.

Read Psalms 27 And 71; Hebrews 13:6. Spend some time praying that God will help you transform your self-confidence into God-confidence. Keep in mind that God has created you to do great things for His kingdom, but it's only His power working in you that will lead to success.

ELIZABETH HIGHTOWER is associate editor of WTOnline and lives in Missouri with her husband Eric and 2-year-old daughter Elise.