What Builds Confidence?

Confidence is a character trait that sets a person apart from others. Confidence has the potential for either commanding respect and admiration or eliciting contempt and resentment. Samson exhibited a degree of self-confidence that led him to believe he was invincible. Healthy confidence believes you are God’s creation set apart by God to serve for the good of others.

Samson exhibited confidence when he allowed his countrymen to bind him and hand him over to his enemies. God's word tells us the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he picked up the jawbone of a donkey and struck down a thousand men. Listen to his prideful self-centeredness and conceit: "With the jawbone of a donkey I have made donkeys out of them."

Psalm 101:5 issues this warning: "I will get rid of anyone who whispers evil things about anyone else. I will not tolerate anyone who is proud and arrogant.” However, whoever humbles himself before the Lord God will never be disappointed. I thank God and praise Him for that promise. 

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Christ gives us confidence in God. We can’t do anything by ourselves and so claim to produce it ourselves, but God gives us our ability.

~2 Corinthians 3:4-5 Beck – New Testament in the Language of Today

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Through the Lens of Confidence: Transformation - Part 1

We've all observed men and women who could roll with the flow of life, who refused to be distracted from their objectives. The ability to roll with the flow doesn't imply giving in to temptation or "doing as the Romans do while in Rome." It takes character strength to sidestep entrapments designed to divert you from God's intended purpose.

A mother referred to her son as intrepid, gutsy, and determined to achieve, despite having a tough learning disability. Resilience enabled him to make friends, do his work with integrity, and deflect self-doubt that was always present. What helped him stay focused was confidence in his parents to be an encouragement regardless of what he would have to face.

The Apostle Paul had unshakable confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Jesus transformed him into a person with direction and purpose for his life. God gave him the wisdom and maturity to change along with a vision that affected the world in a way he had previously believed to be impossible. With Christ in you, all things are possible.