God-Confidence: The Secret Weapon for Christian Soloprenuers
The word confidence means:
- Full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of someone or something:
- Belief in oneself and one’s powers or abilities; self-confidence; self-reliance; assurance.
- Certitude; assurance in one’s own self.
Our confidence is in God alone. As women of God, we solely rely on His power, His wisdom, His guidance and direction, not our own. Contrary to popular belief, our confidence in ourselves is worthless. We must keep in mind that our righteousness is but filthy rags. We are unable to stand on our own, therefore, knowing who God is in our lives, must cause us to humble ourselves, and seek His direction and guidance. James chapter 4 tells us that if we know to do good, and we do not do it, then that is sin.
Let us refuse to rely upon ourselves and have what the world calls self-confidence. I can’t count how many times I knew to do something that was good, but I failed to do anything, simply because of my fears. My, “What will they think?!”, and even my emotions of being unworthy or even at times, when I’ve felt as if I simply did not feel like doing good.
Soloprenuers cannot stand independently; instead, we humbly seek God’s wisdom, guidance, and direction. My feelings and my emotions as a woman are all valid, but I cannot allow myself to have confidence in my flesh. I have absolutely no confidence in my flesh; when it’s dark and gloomy outside. I may just wake up and feel some-kind-of-way. Therefore, I must put my faith my confidence, my trust in, and my hope in God. I’ve got to remind myself that He is faithful and, “…no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly,” Psalm 84:11
Stay focused! Knowing
that your confidence is not in mere man, but in the Creator Himself. Here are a
few scriptures to encourage you. Let them serve as a reminder that our weapons
are not carnal, but mighty. Speak them daily, make
them your morning affirmation and build up your confidence in God.
- So, we can confidently say “the Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
~Hebrews 13:6 - For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.
~Proverbs 3:26 - In the fear of the Lord, one has strong confidence, and His children will have a refuge.
~Proverbs 14:26
- Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord, your God is with you wherever you go.
~Joshua 1:9
Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. ~Ecclesiastes 11:4Whenever you do something, you believe in doing it right.
You feel a certain excitement in your stomach when you read the words, “Do it once, do it right and be done with it.” That is something you can absolutely relate to, right? People often praise and compliment you on a job well done, yet somehow you manage to dwell on the little hiccups that you knew were there, but they missed.
I’ll get it perfect next time!
Then a bit more self-loathing talk about how you could have made it just a bit better and you have exhausted yourself again, because you’re still trying to “do perfect.” You heard someone say that God expects excellence, and you haven’t given yourself a break since you were a child. If you are approaching every new task, or venture with that same ridiculously stressed-out obsession…It’s time you come on with me and let’s just repent together.
Come to Jesus.
You sure need to, since He is the only one who is perfect, and you are going to make yourself one worn-out-somebody if you keep trying to do everything PERFECTLY. God wants your best and its high time that you convince yourself that your best is going to be good enough. I believe God is pleased when we give Him our best. Let’s say it together, “My best is good enough!”
Trying to do “perfect” or be “perfect” is so far from reality.
So, then what are you doing? You certainly aren’t ever going to be perfect at least not in this life. Don’t set up for yourself such unrealistic expectations that you end up doing nothing. Maybe you never quite finish anything or never start anything; either way perfectionism can paralyze you. Put away the umbrella! Here you are watching the sky, waiting for it to rain so that afterward, you can reap your perfect harvest. How long will you watch the clouds? Will your crops just rot in the ground because of your failure to put down that ideal image of perfection; that you have concocted in your mind and do the will of God. One thing we know, perfectionism is definitely not in God’s plan for you (here on earth). He did tell us to be holy, because He is holy, yet that (holiness) is a condition of the heart.
Let’s strive for holiness and not perfection… a far more attainable goal in this life with God as our help. Today! Together we shall abandon perfectionism! We are perfectly imperfect in Christ Jesus.
