We all know we are to have faith in God.
Believers who have been “Born Again” know that we are to faithfully believe Yeshua is the Messiah sent by God.
The Bible tells us that through faith in God (and Yeshua) we can be found righteous in God’s eyes, as Abraham was.
But what about faith in ourselves?
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Personally, I have much more faith in God than I do in people, and for good reason- God is God, proven over millennia to be 1000% trustworthy and dependable, and never changing.
People, on the other hand, are well…they’re people, born with iniquity, self-centered, and desiring only to do what is pleasing to the body.
And I am one of them, so how can I have any faith in myself, other than faith to know that I will probably screw up, sooner or later.
And much sooner than later, to be sure.
Yet, I do have faith in myself to do what is right, and that faith developed only because I have faith in God.
My faith and trust in God instill in me the unshakable and concrete knowledge that God will see to my needs, help me to be better (even when I backslide), and always be there for me. I also know that whatever talents I have, God gave me. Yes, I have developed them and I can use them wisely and efficiently (usually), and that helps me feel confident in my abilities. When I say this I am not bragging or being egocentric because whatever I do well, I know that it is not really me but instead, God working through me.
I screw up plenty of times, and when I do, that’s when I can take full credit.
My faith in God is what allows me to have faith in myself.
I know people who are shy, have no confidence in themselves and are self-deprecating. They constantly refuse to speak up, even when they know they are in the right, and won’t defend either themselves or even those they love when being wronged.
And their first reaction to trying anything new is to say they can’t do it, which is not the truth but ends up being the case.
Henry Ford is credited with saying “Whether you think you can do a thing, or think you can’t- you are right!”
I believe one reason for people to avoid speaking up for themselves or others is not that they are meek (meekness takes strength!) and not because they think they are wrong, but because they lack faith in themselves, which means that they don’t have enough faith in God!
The saddest part of this, at least, with the people I know who are like this, is that their lack of faith in themselves becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Because they are afraid if they speak out that someone might shame them. Their lack of confidence is what keeps them from developing confidence, so naturally, they have little or no faith in themselves.
And because they are so lacking in faith in themselves, even if it comes down to speaking the truth about God, they will not speak out.
Yeshua said if we are ashamed of him, then he will be ashamed of us when we come before God (Luke 9:26). I interpret that as meaning if we don’t speak about God or Messiah Yeshua with confidence, then we are showing ourselves ashamed of him.
If lack of faith in yourself is what causes you to not speak to other people confidently and with conviction about God, that also represents a lack of faith in God. And, if you don’t have enough faith in God to trust him to help you by putting the proper words in your mouth, then you will never have any faith in yourself!
It’s a self-defeating cycle born from fear and distrust.
Didn’t Yeshua tell his Disciples in Mark 13:11 that they shouldn’t worry when they are arrested about what to say because the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) will inspire them and give them the words they need?
God is always here; he always knows what we need, and if we trust in him, faithfully believing he will take care of us, then we have nothing to fear. We can speak boldly and with confidence to anyone.
And that also means you can do things with confidence. Instead of immediately denying your ability to do anything, even if you have tried before and failed, you should never shirk from a challenge. Trust in God to be able to do anything will motivate you to try new things, to step out into the world confidently and unafraid because you know that no matter what you face, God is there, besides you.
And when speaking out to defend yourself or God’s truth against judgmental and cruel people, there will be no need for you to be that way; the Ruach can provide you with the kindest words possible for telling someone they are being a real jerk, and in such a way they might actually begin to see the light.
All you need to do is have faith that God will always be able to help you to walk boldly, or talk boldly, or act boldly when dealing with life’s adversities and challenges.
Remember that Yeshua also told us in Matthew 10:28 not to be afraid of what human beings can do to us because they can only affect our bodies. We are to be concerned, instead, with the one who can destroy our soul.
Strengthen your faith in God by stepping out into the world with confidence- not so much in yourself as being able to do anything, but in God being able to help you do anything. Speak with confidence, act with certainty, and do not teeter-totter your way through life.
Our God is not a God of sitting back and being worried about what you can or can’t do- he is a God of stepping out and doing as you think God wants you to do.
God will always guide your footsteps, but you have to get off your tuchas and start walking.
So get going, and your faith in God to guide you in both words and actions will give you confidence in yourself, and through that confidence, you will be giving glory to God.
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That’s it for today, so l’hitraot and Baruch HaShem!
