Confidence is attractive. We crave it; we are drawn to it. By seeking self-assurance, we try to surround ourselves with confident people and hope that they will influence us. Yet, we continue to be experts at nitpicking and finding our deepest most hidden insecurities. We compare ourselves to others and degrade ourselves. Consistent confidence is a struggle that we all face.
Where does our confidence come from?
Recently, there have been many statements such as "find confidence within yourself", "have confidence from a positive body image", and "gain confidence from your natural beauty", floating around on social media. Yes, we should be confident in ourselves; yes, we should have a positive body image; and yes, we should realize that we are beautiful. However, our confidence should not come from ourselves; our confidence should come from Christ. The earthly sources of confidence are weak, unstable and temporary. We constantly try to set new goals or get a new make over to boost our confidence, but it simply does not last. We need to put our confidence in him, knowing that we are his masterpieces. We are each a beautiful, intricate temple that he created for his glory. We easily forget our worth as we stumble around trying to find a sliver of confidence within ourselves.
But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him -Jeremiah 17:7
Why should we put our confidence in Christ?
1. He wants the best for us
'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future' -Jeremiah 29:11
2. He does not judge us
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him -John 3:17
3. He is proud of us
Rejoicing in His whole world and delighting in mankind -Proverbs 8:31
4. He gives us boldness
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence -Ephesians 3:12
The Creator of the entire universe gives us the ability to approach him freely. This is truly amazing. He does not care about all of our insecurities that we try to hide from the world. Christ knows every little aspect of our lives and he still wants us to be confident. If he says we should be confident in front of him, then we can definitely be confident in front of our peers. Christ has confidently chosen us each for his specific purpose.
For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord - 1 Thessalonians 3:8
