8. Confidence…
And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.
1 John 5:14-15
I chose this image to accompany this post because it portrays the confidence that a child has – he is certain that with the right equipment on he can fly. Children so easily believe in, are confident in their ability to achieve what seems to be impossible to us adults.
Every day we demonstrate confidence in the possible – we sit on a chair confident that it won’t collapse under our weight; we eat food at a restaurant confident that it isn’t poisoned and going to harm us; we catch the train to work confident that it’s going to get us there. Our confidence is built on our past experience, and we don’t even need to think before we do any of these things.
But when it comes to our dreams, our ambitions, our confidence wanes. We begin to use phrases like what if or but or not possible, making excuses for indecision. You may have a dream to attend university but what if you pay for three years of study and fail – best to just not try. I love to travel overseas and could easily use the what if I get hurt or robbed, caught up in a terrorist attack excuse and decide to stay home and be safe.
This kind of excuse language even gets into our conversations with God: God I know you want me to go to Africa and serve as a mission worker there and I am ready because you have promised to always be with me (Joshua 1:9, Matthew 28:20) but underneath I might be thinking about the heat, the wild animals, the risk of war and planning the what if scenarios which may well stop me from fulfilling what God is calling me to.
Confidence is about a belief in something or someone. We believe that the chair won’t collapse, the food won’t poison us, the train is track-worthy. We are confident and believe because of our knowledge of these things and our past experiences. In the same way I trust my husband to support me in my endeavours because he loves me and has my best interests at heart. I trust my pastor to teach and lead me in the ways of God because he has committed his life to serving God. I trust the train-driver because he is trained and capable of doing his job.
So it should be with God. When we know him and have a living relationship with him then, together with past experience, we can always be confident he will come through for us and gives us our dreams helping us to fulfil our purposes in him.
And yet, after many years as a Christian, I still find myself doubting myself, doubting God. I still play out the what ifs in my head. In Mark chapter 9 Jesus is confronted by a man whose son has an evil spirit in him:
So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth. “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father. He replied, “Since he was a little boy. The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”
Mark 9:20-24
He begs Jesus to help his son if he can. Jesus challenges him: What do you mean if I can, anything is possible if a person believes. The dilemma we face is the same as this man’s – we come to God confident he can answer our prayers, meet our needs, fulfil our dreams but…The man’s response to Jesus’ question was I do believe but help me overcome my unbelief.
Let this be our cry when doubt cripples us from moving forward into what God has planned for us and stepping into our dreams. Expect God to work and be confident knowing what he has done for you in the past.
Prayer: Lord, challenge me when I fall into the “what if” or “but” trap. Remind me of the times you have walked with me through life and give me renewed confidence that you will always fulfil your promises to me; that you will always protect me and provide for me no matter how hard the future looks.
Amen
Action: Don’t let doubt and unbelief get in the way of your confidence. Spend time today looking back at the times God has been there for you, the times he has delivered on his promises and be confident that the same God will never leave you or forsake you.
Journal your thoughts:
