Living Confidently
by Pastor Susan Humbert
“The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.” (Prov 31:11)
Confidence can be an iffy proposition. For a period of time, we may be able to operate with all the self-assurance in the world, seemingly achieving success in every area of life—academic, relational, professional, athletic, emotional, financial—you name it. We can even legitimately bask in a sense of pride, looking back at all we have accomplished on the basis of our natural talent, learned competence, physical prowess, hard work, good looks, and engaging personality. Yet attempting something new can look as wobbly as a fawn taking her first steps.
Before I became a Christian, I was the most confident person I knew. I had excelled at whatever I had put my mind to; typically, the top salesperson, former NFL cheerleader and model. Everyone seemed to happily trot along behind me to the next bar or party. But
Christianity was a whole new arena. I was no longer the center of attention, and nobody was following me anywhere. What I once knew as up, was down. What I once knew as right became wrong. Mr. Banks of Mary Poppins might have referred to this seemingly upside-down state of affairs as “higgeldy piggeldy.” Unable to measure spiritual confidence against my familiar and accustomed worldly standards, I simply tried to hang on to that which had always given me confidence: Me.
It took me a minute, but I learned that the Lord had called me to a U-turn, the spiritual rebirth. I had to learn how to crawl with Jesus, and then walk with Jesus. Before I knew it, I was running with Jesus and found my confidence. This time, it was in Him. Confidence is derivative of spiritual growth, moving from spiritual adolescence to spiritual maturity. The great news is, that is exactly the purpose for which we were designed.
The next time somebody says, “Oh, grow up,” a good reply is, “That’s the plan!”
