Confidence
I am the vine and you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5
To say that I lack confidence is an understatement. Some people who know me find that hard to believe. Others are painfully aware of it. I tend to question all of my decisions and miss opportunities because I do not feel equal to the task. It is something I know I have to work on because a lack of confidence means the focus is on me. It shouldn’t be. I can’t do anything alone but with God I can do whatever he asks me to do. It is God’s perception of me not mine that really matters. Lack of confidence then is really a lack of faith.
Just the other day while having a conversation with a group of women I noticed that one of them radiates confidence. She is the antithesis of me. She sees herself as talented, beautiful, capable and quite frankly a little too good for the likes of me and to be fair most of the rest of the group. In fact earlier in the same conversation she was quick to point out a detail that makes her, in her estimation, superior to her husband, a very accomplished man. She sees herself as having all that she has through some effort of her own. Her confidence then, is a lack of faith.
Was God telling me to get more education? Take voice or dance lessons? Get a makeover? In short become more like Miss Confident? No! He was saying, never, ever forget that every thing, every blessing, every bit of talent, every opportunity even those things you see as flaws, my dear, are all from me. “Apart from me, you can do nothing.” He said it before and if I ever forget, and I pray that I won’t, he will say it again, for which I am exceedingly grateful. Miss Confident does not realize is that what she is so proud of is all fleeting.
For a moment as I thought this all over it felt very much like judgement. I was heading toward the speck and plank Scripture when God redirected my attention. He wasn’t asking me to go tell her the error of her ways. He was telling me to be sure I never make the same mistake. He was encouraging me to stay in his grasp and to recognize that all that I have, am and do is from him.
Does this woman have some talent? I’ve heard that she does. Is she doing well in her profession? Yes she is. Is she physically beautiful? To each his own, some would say yes, others not so much. The point is that what she does have comes from the same place as everything that I have and everything that you have. The difference between us is that I know it and she doesn’t. Am I better person than she is? I assure you that I am not. What I am is blessed to have received and accepted an invitation to dance with the King. I know that the invitation is there for her too and I hope that one day she accepts it.
To say that I lack confidence is an understatement. Some people who know me find that hard to believe. Others are painfully aware of it. I tend to question all of my decisions and miss opportunities because I do not feel equal to the task. It is something I know I have to work on because a lack of confidence means the focus is on me. It shouldn’t be. I can’t do anything alone but with God I can do whatever he asks me to do. It is God’s perception of me not mine that really matters. Lack of confidence then is really a lack of faith.
Just the other day while having a conversation with a group of women I noticed that one of them radiates confidence. She is the antithesis of me. She sees herself as talented, beautiful, capable and quite frankly a little too good for the likes of me and to be fair most of the rest of the group. In fact earlier in the same conversation she was quick to point out a detail that makes her, in her estimation, superior to her husband, a very accomplished man. She sees herself as having all that she has through some effort of her own. Her confidence then, is a lack of faith.
Was God telling me to get more education? Take voice or dance lessons? Get a makeover? In short become more like Miss Confident? No! He was saying, never, ever forget that every thing, every blessing, every bit of talent, every opportunity even those things you see as flaws, my dear, are all from me. “Apart from me, you can do nothing.” He said it before and if I ever forget, and I pray that I won’t, he will say it again, for which I am exceedingly grateful. Miss Confident does not realize is that what she is so proud of is all fleeting.
For a moment as I thought this all over it felt very much like judgement. I was heading toward the speck and plank Scripture when God redirected my attention. He wasn’t asking me to go tell her the error of her ways. He was telling me to be sure I never make the same mistake. He was encouraging me to stay in his grasp and to recognize that all that I have, am and do is from him.
Does this woman have some talent? I’ve heard that she does. Is she doing well in her profession? Yes she is. Is she physically beautiful? To each his own, some would say yes, others not so much. The point is that what she does have comes from the same place as everything that I have and everything that you have. The difference between us is that I know it and she doesn’t. Am I better person than she is? I assure you that I am not. What I am is blessed to have received and accepted an invitation to dance with the King. I know that the invitation is there for her too and I hope that one day she accepts it.
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