Confidence

For most of the last decade, these words from Psalm 27 were my screensaver on my computer. I leaned on these words though I didn’t know how they would apply in my family’s life. What I knew is that I was called to be confident, to stand strong despite circumstances and evidence.

Confidence is an awesome thing. Blind faith, believing in something with no underlying truth or reality, may make us feel better, but it won’t change outcomes. Confidence grounded in the right source, even if that source is not immediately evident, strengthens us. 

We are in a scary time. The evidence may be overwhelming. The finances may look shaky. We may not know whether we will keep our job or whether our company will survive. Our health or the health of one we love may make us anxious. The critical question is, “In whom is our confidence?” We may not be able to control our circumstances, but our confidence is in the fact that God is in control. He doesn’t promise specific outcomes, but He promises His goodness, which is even better.

The apostle Paul claimed the same thing when he wrote to the Roman church, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” With God, we may not win the battle, but we know we will win the war. That is our confidence.

In Christ, we can have the confidence to live boldly, have courage, and live our best when circumstances are most in question.

Confidence is grown through experience. That is why I put those verses as my screensaver. I didn’t feel confident. I needed to increase confidence, and so I reminded myself every time I turned on the computer where my faith lay. I still need the reminders, particularly in days like we are facing now. If you also need confidence, then begin by reminding yourself of the source of your faith and then keep on prompting yourself until it becomes your own. 

Additionally, choose to speak with faith, even if you are struggling to feel your faith. A friend once told me that encouraging others not to worry helped him fight his own anxiety. He heard his own words and was lifted up. 

Finally, learn that strength comes from waiting on the Lord. You may not feel strong today. That is okay. Wait on the Lord. We are impatient people. Yet, God is never late. Faith means not only trusting God but trusting His timing. Therefore, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”