The Characteristics of Confidence (Part Two) by Lisa Burkhardt Worley
This is a photo on a very confident day, from the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. I knew sports commentator Verne Lundquist, but I did not know figure skater Scottie Hamilton, yet I seized the opportunity to jump into the broadcast booth to take a photo with the two of them. You can see by Scottie’s face, he wasn’t too sure about me. But it is important to note that I had grown up to be a more confident woman despite a childhood filled with insecurity.
I did not have confidence as a little girl because I did not know the One who doles out confidence. I was not a Christian until a friend led me to Christ my freshman year in high school. Up until that point, my grades were okay, but not impressive. I really wasn’t that involved in school activities yet. I was headed down the wrong path, already drinking at age thirteen. But after I came to know Jesus as my Savior, my grades miraculously went up, I stopped the partying, and I became more confident, so much so, that I pressed into my athletic ability and actually started the girls basketball team at our school, and was a starter on both the basketball and volleyball teams. This was a far cry from where I was pre-salvation. I know now that this was supernatural. This did not happen in my own power. The change was radical.
But now because of a divine relationship, I have this freedom to seek help from the creator of the universe. Hebrews 4:16 says, thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf, we can approach “God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” 1 John 5:14 says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”
However, confidence can come and go.
After God brought me back to my Jewish roots in Israel in 2014, I have recently struggled with my Jewish identity since many do not accept patrilineal descent—and they are not afraid to tell me so. However, as I questioned my call back to Jewish ethnicity, God reminded me of what happened in 2014 in Jerusalem when He told me, “Your Jewish Father died, but Your Jewish roots never died.” “Are you going to believe what they say about you, He said, or are you going to believe me?”
The same goes for you. Are you going to believe lies that are spoken over you by others, or are you going to believe your heavenly Father when He says, You are My masterpiece. You are a daughter of the King. I formed you in the womb. You are beautifully and wonderfully made. I will keep you in perfect peace. I will instruct you in the way you should go. Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. I know the plans I have for you says the Lord plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. God’s working all things together for good for you. For I am the LORD your God who takes a hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear. I will help you. So we can say with confidence, The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?
He is your confidence.
God desires for us to be confident but we will never be perfectly confident. God works on our confidence until He takes us home. We will have trials that attempt to steal our confidence. You may be in one right now. Do you have confidence that God will work something good out of the trouble? Psalm 27:3 says, “Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear, though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.” We must remember where our confidence comes from during good times and bad. Press into His confidence and know that when we are weak, He is strong.
Lord, when I am not confident, thank you for providing the confidence I need. Help me to believe what You say about me, rather than what the world says. Amen.