Confidence

Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold.

II Cor 3:12

I have a hard time with self-confidence. I always feel like just about everybody else is better than me, and it can be exhausting. This way of thinking works its way in between me and almost every aspect of my life. When I enter into a situation feeling defeated, it affects not only me, but those around me as well.

For instance, my kids are on a swim team. I am the one who takes them to practice, and gets them to the meets. Most days we are late. Everyone else seems to get there on time, why can't I? Even when I manage to drag us all there on time, I don't know the first thing about swim team stuff. I enter in this environment feeling intimidated. When we are at meets and I try to help out, I literally feel like I'm running around like a chicken with it's head cut off! If you've ever seen that, you know what I mean. There's no head, but because it takes a while for the chicken to die, it still runs around aimlessly. That's how I feel at these meets. I'm doing who knows what to help out, but I don't really understand what's going on, so I'm not sure I'm doing anything helpful at all.

But here's Paul telling me that the new covenant with Jesus gives me confidence so I can be very bold. I know that he's not talking about being bold at a swim meet, but maybe he is. Our mission field is everywhere we go, so if I go into my mission field feeling intimidated and defeated, then my true purpose for being there goes unmet. I don't do a good job helping out, I lash out at my kids, and I certainly haven't been a good witness of the love of Christ. But, in God's grace, all I need is a simple reminder of the truth.

Romans 8:18 is one of my favorite "simple reminders". It says that "what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will reveal to us later". I know that believing Satan's lies and walking around feeling defeated is needless suffering, but it's suffering nonetheless. Unchecked, it can consume me and zap the life (& joy) right out of me. This verse points me back in the direction of an an eternal perspective, allowing me to walk in the confidence of not only who I am in Christ, but who God created me to be, tender-hearted and sensitive, becoming a blessing to those around me instead of a liability.