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Confidence?

    Warning...the next few posts may be very honest and seemingly rambling...  I have read many blogs lately of friends just sharing what is going on in their life, even the bad stuff.  I have benefited from it greatly in that I see that we all really do have troubles in our lives and its not something to be ashamed of.  I can learn from others and then when I share others can learn from my troubles!  So...don't say I didn't warn you!  :)  Hope you benefit as I did from my honest and open friends.

    Isn't it amazing how we so often have to go through a difficult and heartbreaking time to come face to face with the fact that we really are totally dependent on God?  We knew it deep down all along but just weren't living like it....until it all seems to crash down around us.  Not even literally...we just come to the breaking point when we have to stop and breathe and are reminded of who God is and who we are. 
    Nothing else really matters except that He is glorified.  It doesn't matter how much money we make, what degree we have, or what car we drive. 
    I recently realized just how much of what I do is influenced by competition.  I had been going about my life not even seeing this...really?  Everywhere I looked in my life it seemed my underlying purpose or at least the second purpose was because of feeling the need to be as good or better than someone else.   It wasn't necessarily for them to look bad or for me to look better, but instead so that I myself felt better about myself.  My self confidence should not come from comparing myself to others!  My confidence should come from who I am in Christ and where He has brought me...and where He can take me from here.  My life should be learning on the Perfect, Almighty, Loving, Trustworthy, and True God rather than man.  I am totally dependent on God!  I myself will always fail and let myself and other down.  We need to ask ourselves, as was asked in 2 Kings 18:19 - "On what are you basing this confidence of yours?"  Our pastor has been doing a series on Sunday nights about "Who I Am In Christ."  It has been very eye opening and an encouragement.  No matter what we have done, when we are "in Christ" we become a new creation, a child of God.  If I keep trying to be "good enough" or try to be the best at everything I will just keep failing and falling on my face.  Hopefully, now, each time I try to live my life like this I will be reminded that my competence comes from God and of the question "on what are you basing this confidence of yours?" 

Such confidence we have through Christ before God.  Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. - 2 Corinthians 3:4-5


Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.  For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one. - Romans 12:2-3

Some take pride in a chariot, and others in horses, but we take pride in the name of the LORD our God. -Psalm 20:7

Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. - Philippians 2:3

Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things. Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you. - Philippians 4:8-9

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