Keep the Confidence

Keeping the Confidence. So easily said. The practice of it is much more challenging.

I again come to the analogy of athletics. Athletes are generally very successful when their confidence is high. When they are knowing that they can and will do something that has a positive impact. And even when they find themselves in a moment of failure, they understand that it is only a moment and that they will find the way back from that failure.

Our life with Christ is rooted in confidence. Not so much in our ability or our talent, but in the hope that regardless of where we might be the LORD is there with us. I have to know that I am going to prevail in all thanks to the LORD and His will and His watching over me.

“⁵Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, ⁶but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.” – Hebrews 3:5-6 (ESV)

The writer of Hebrews in this passage is specifically identifying Jesus to be greater than Moses. Yet I am looking to verse six this morning. I am to have confidence in Christ as He is faithful over God’s house, the church to which I am. It is not me that I have confidence in, it is in Christ. He will always win out.

Here is where things get a little complicated for us has humans, we have to overcome failure and know that Christ does win. Our confidence is in Christ, not ourselves. I am a sinner and filled with failure. It is Christ who lifts me up and not myself. I will have moments of failure to which I must move on knowing that my confidence is in the LORD who does not fail. My failure is just a momentary setback that was likely of design to redirect or keep me from some calamity. Like the athlete who is confident they will overcome, I must as well. But, different from the athlete who is confident in their ability to overcome, my confidence is in Christ who will lead me through that which is challenging my view of success.

Failure is going to come, it is for sure. The way through the failure is to have confidence that we will overcome. Our confidence to do so should be in the LORD as He will not fail. I must keep the confidence in Him, knowing that He will lead me through whatever is upon me that may not feel like success.

Where are you putting your confidence? Are you looking to yourself to get you through the challenges and failures? What if you were to keep your confidence in the LORD knowing that He will not fail?

Confidence for You

I have mentioned that my family competes/competed in sports and with that came a lot of different coaches and we were able to witness a lot of different coaches as well. One thing that is evident in the successful coaches is the confidence they have and communicate to their players. The coaches are able to seemingly get more out of the players when they are confident in their ability to do the work. But, it is not really getting more out of them, they are giving them the courage and permission to to do the work they are capable.

“⁴And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. ⁵May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.” – 2 Thessalonians 3:4-5 (ESV)

Paul, speaking for Timothy and Silvanus, is pointing out to the church that they have the skills to continue doing the work for Christ. And he lets them know that he, Timothy, and Silvanus are confident that they will do just that. Coaching at its best here. The coach, Paul, letting his team, the church, know that he knows they can do it.

Paul does not get this confidence from just anywhere, it comes from the LORD. Paul is abiding in the LORD and conveying His will to the people. Paul knows that the LORD will be with the church and he reminds them that they should abide in Christ and they will find the path and work they are to take.

Paul is the example for me. In the training profession I teach and coach others to do the work they are assigned. It is up to me to ensure that they know I have confidence for them in their work. Likewise, or really before my worldly work, I am tasked with having confidence for those around me in the work of the LORD. I am to witness to them and give them the Word of God to use as their guide and provide for them the words of confidence for their spreading of the gospel to the world around them.

What is your approach to getting others to do the work? Are you telling them to in hopes they will find it within themselves? What if you showed confidence for them that comes from your abiding in the LORD that encourages them to do the work they are capable?

No Confidence in the Flesh

I cannot rely on myself and my lineage and my own actions as they will ultimately always fail me. Yes, I know that in the short run, there may be some benefit to me taking control or my ancestry from the ruling class (not really from royalty) or my great visible actions. I may see some “comfort” from it all, in fact Paul experienced all of it in his life.

“⁴though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; ⁶as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.” – Philippians 3:4-6 (ESV)

Paul was a great man in the world prior to his becoming great for Christ. He seemingly had it all, and yet when the LORD appeared to him, he saw that it all was just of the flesh and that there was so much more in the LORD and for following Him.

“²¹Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” ²²When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” – Matthew 19:21-22 (ESV)

The world is an enticing place and can lead to dependency and will ultimately lead to our undoing. I have to remember this in my life. The world is tempting, and seemingly even more so today. There is social media that is so easy to manipulate and everyone has things so great. The sense that “you too can have it all” is the sentiment as displayed. It is all about the comfort and the carefree approach. I hear and see of people having $100K monthly expenditures and I find myself wondering how I too can have it all and how good it would be. This is the fleeting life and so temporary. At any time the comfort could be gone and then, without the “needed” resources, I would find myself right back to the same place as before.

“²Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. ³For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—“ — Philippians 3:2-3 (ESV)

I have to put my confidence in the LORD and not in the world. Paul found that out and warns us to be aware of the evil in the world. The world only thinks of itself and its own survival and will toss us away once it has chewed us up. With Christ, we are not chewed up, we are lifted up and given the prospects of such a glorious future. The now may not be comfortable in the sense of the world standards, but our long term outlook is so great. Confidence in the flesh or the world will only lead to disappointment in the long term.

Where are you putting your confidence? Are you looking to the world and all of the “riches” it gives to get you through the long term? What if you realize that the now is just that and your confidence should be in the LORD who gives you future glory?

Boldness with Confidence

My role in this world is to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to all who are there. What a daunting and frightening role it is. I already indicated that I have a fear of failure and now I am to speak to those who don’t want to hear. In comes the fear of rejection.

This is the problem with looking at things from the human perspective and not in the LORD. I cannot do things on my own as in the way are these fears that are amplified by the evil one to keep me from doing the work.

“¹¹This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹²in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.” – Ephesians 3:11-12 (ESV)

But, I have a purpose to attend to based on my acceptance of grace and salvation and being adopted into the family of God. That purpose is, as noted, to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to all who are there. And to take action, I can rely on the confidence I have through my faith and reliance on Christ. I will use that confidence to take bold action. I will face my fears and know that God is with me all the way to and through them as I am working to fulfill my purpose.

It will not be easy. I have to remember that the work is worthwhile, but there is no guarantee of ease. I have to continue to lean on the LORD for strength and know that I can proceed boldly with the confidence afforded me through I life in Him.

What fears are in your way? Are you allowing them to keep you from your purpose? What if you were to rely on the confidence afforded through the LORD and take bold action to overcome those fears?

No Fear with Confidence in the LORD

I for one have a fear of failure and that fear keeps me from trying new things. I don’t want to make the mistakes and be seen as unable to do things. I am over 50 and I should have the experience to be competent at all things I do or try. The thing is that I have been this way my whole life. It took me some time to start this writing over eight years ago as I was afraid of what others might think. But, I don’t have to be afraid when I am in the LORD.

“²⁵Do not be afraid of sudden terror

or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes,

²⁶for the Lord will be your confidence

and will keep your foot from being caught.”

— Proverbs 3:25-26 (ESV)

It is not about what others think nor what I think. It is about what the LORD thinks and knows about me. I have to remain in Him and when I do, I have the confidence to do most anything. I do not have to fear failing at something as the LORD only wants me to do what He has for me and He will get the results He is wanting.

I trusted that Jesus died for my sins and that I have eternal life through Him. I will receive glory in heaven when my time is done here in this world. I have been tasked with carrying forward the gospel of the LORD and that means doing as the LORD commands. I know that He will give me the strength to carry it out and all I have to do is remain in Him and doing the work He has for me, regardless of what that might be. And that may mean being comfortable and be a master of the task or maybe I am to fail forward with Him for others to see that it is okay and that when we are in the LORD, He makes it all worthwhile.

I have to not be afraid for I have the LORD to dwell in. I have confidence in Him that He will provide. Regardless of the situation, the outcome is known by the LORD and in line with what He had planned. I have confidence in Him for all.

Where is your confidence? Are you leaning on yourself and what others see or think? What if you took action based on the tasks the LORD has for you and approached them with the confidence that comes from your remaining in Him?

Confidence From Fear of the LORD

This morning I begin a study of the word “confidence”. I start with a passage in Job and see that I am to have confidence from the LORD and the fear of Him.

“⁵But now it has come to you, and you are impatient;

it touches you, and you are dismayed.”

— Job 4:5 (ESV)

Look at the words of Eliphaz the Temanite above to Job. It is natural for us to feel subjected to many a difficult time and circumstance. And this can lead to doubt and fear. We are going to feel all that is bad and ugly as though it is directed at us. Society and the world does not understand and that lack of understanding creates fear in their own life and they want for all to feel the same way.

“⁶Is not your fear of God your confidence,

and the integrity of your ways your hope?”

— Job 4:6 (ESV)

Now we have fear as well, yet that fear is in the LORD and instead of allowing it and the world of society to create doubt and fear in us, it should create confidence beyond understanding. With the fear of the LORD and the confidence that comes, we are to be strong like a lion and get out into the world.

“¹⁰The roar of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion,

the teeth of the young lions are broken.

¹¹The strong lion perishes for lack of prey,

and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.”

— Job 4:10-11 (ESV)

The lion is not deterred by the world. They will continue until there is no more way to continue. Notice that they will “perish for lack of prey”. That is not that we are to seek others as prey, but more that we are to continue with the confidence of the lion in that there is nothing that can be overcome.

The lion continues providing and protecting and caring for their world and we should be doing the same. We cannot let the world defeat us. We have to go through the world with the confidence that we will overcome. That confidence comes from our fear of the LORD. When we tap into that confidence we will not be defeated.

What does your confidence look like? Are you confident in only a few things? What if you were like the lion and had confidence in all things and drew on the confidence that you get from your fear of the LORD?

Be Ready with Righteous Actions

This morning I wrap up my guided study of the word “righteous”. It has been a great view into the Word of God and now that I have viewed and reviewed, I have to be ready.

“’⁷Let us rejoice and exult

and give him the glory,

for the marriage of the Lamb has come,

and his Bride has made herself ready;

⁸it was granted her to clothe herself

with fine linen, bright and pure’—

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.” – Revelation 19:7-8 (ESV)

I am the Church of God and I have to be ready. My readiness comes in the continued work done for the LORD as He gives to me. I have to commit righteous actions. I have to look at each opportunity to be the bride of Christ.

How will you be preparing? Are you just expecting that all is good and you are ready? What if you were to do the continued work of Christ with righteous actions to be ready for His return?

Follow the Righteous

This seems like an easy thing, right. Well it is in the concept of it all. I do believe that a majority of those in the world understand that following the righteous is the approach that should be taken. To get it “right” we should be following the righteous.

Here’s the challenge. Who is the righteous that should be followed? Is it the grandiose leader giving everything under the sun? Is it the towering conqueror bringing others to justice? Is it the vocal religious figure speaking to the masses? The thing is, I don’t know of their righteousness. I only know what I see in their actions. I have to remember that God is the only one to declare someone righteous.

But, there is one who I can count on for being righteous and in counting on Him, I know following Him is the right path. Jesus.

“⁴Who will not fear, O Lord,

and glorify your name?

For you alone are holy.

All nations will come

and worship you,

for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

— Revelation 15:4 (ESV)

I do not have to look for the righteous to follow. He has been here since the beginning. I only have to follow Jesus. All of He and His actions and Himself were and are righteous and have been revealed as so. How many other’s have selflessly come to the world with the grand purpose of accepting all that I am and dying so that I would not have to.

I know what you may be thinking, there are others that have died for their cause, and you would be correct. But look at it, they have died for their cause and their single idea. This is not to be discredited and less than noble at all. These have given of themselves and should be recognized as doing so. Yet, it is just that these have died for a single cause and are no longer here to continue to advance that cause. Once gone from this world, their dedication to the cause is no more.

With Jesus, He came to this world for the purpose of dying for me. He gave all of Himself for me and then died, and here it is, He rose again and continued His work for me. Jesus was righteous in all of His actions and then died and rose again to continue with those righteous actions.

Now, I am not going to say that there are/weren’t other righteous to follow. As those who are passionate for those causes may very well be. What I am saying is that the only one we know, without a doubt to be righteous is Jesus. Following Him we are guaranteed to be following the righteous.

Who are you following that you believe to be righteous? Is their noble cause that makes them righteous? What if you were to follow the only one guaranteed to be righteous, Jesus?

Righteous do Good and Suffer

What, do good and suffer. Yes, as a follower of Christ we are to do good. As a result we are not going to necessarily be in line with the society or world around us and for that we will suffer.

“¹⁷For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. ¹⁸For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,” – 1 Peter 3:17 – 18 (ESV)

Jesus came to this world and was filled with and did good, as we know, He did not sin. He came for you and for me. He was the righteous one and yet He suffered greatly for you and for me. He died, even when He did not have to, for you and for me. And think about it, He was continually doing good and yet the world around Him persecuted Him.

In looking into this world, I see a lot going on. I see those that are doing what is put out as being good, only to find out that it was completely self-serving. Now, I do not claim to know the hearts of those doing the work, it could be that they were just naive in their thinking and actions. Then there are those who do the work of the LORD, regardless of the consequences. I think of those looking to provide support in North Carolina and being turned away as they did not “follow the protocols”. Those people are not looking for any recognition, only looking to help and yet the suffering for doing good is present.

I have to remember the example of Christ. I have to be the example of Christ. I have to be and do good. I have to know that it will not always be easy and know that I will be persecuted for it, suffer for it, and not fit in always, but it is the example that Christ left for me and it is the example that I have to leave for others.

What is your approach to doing good? Are you looking to get something out of it? What if you went into the good knowing that you will suffer for it and you were to press on anyway, demonstrating the example of Christ?

The LORD is Fixed on the Righteous

It is again not surprising, but amazing that the LORD leads me to passages again and again to learn. Where this morning I was brought to 1 Peter and a passage I have studied a number of times, the LORD has a different learning for me today. Even the verse I was lead to is a citation from Psalm that I have studied before with my exploring of the word “righteous”.

“¹²For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,

and his ears are open to their prayer.

But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

— 1 Peter 3:12 (ESV)

This morning I was struck, not by the eyes or ears of the LORD being on the righteous and their prayer, but by the intense focus He has in doing so. The LORD is fixed on the righteous. He is fully devoted to His people. His eyes and ears are fully engaged with all that we are doing and saying. He is so fixed on us that all others He has turned away from. Those who do evil are not in His sight or earshot. The LORD is with us always looking and listening for our needs and work completion for Him.

I know, this seems pretty ominous for those who are evil. How is it they will be found by the LORD if/when His eyes and ears are not focused on them. This is where the world gets the wrong idea of the LORD. The world seems to think that if the LORD does not bless everyone, then the LORD is not good. How could this loving god (lower case “g” intentional) not be loving to everyone and keep all from evil?

Well here is my visualization of it all. Imagine that the righteous are seen under a spotlight and that spotlight allows for audio (like the optical audio cable for your media). The LORD sees and hears that which is in the spotlight. All that is outside the spotlight is there yes, but not seen or heard by God. It is the work of those in the spotlight to bring others in through evangelism and love and the carrying of the gospel to them. Once those outside the spotlight step in, they are now seen and heard by the LORD.

This may be a bit of a simplification of what I read and study this morning. It is not that the LORD is not loving to those who are evil, it is that they are not the focus of His attention. It is those who are focused on and devoted to Him who get His immediate attention. To get the LORD’s immediate attention and be the focus of His eyes and ears, one has to turn to Him and devote to Him and the carry of His Word forward to the rest of the world.

As I write and study this morning, the world is in darkness. There is evil throughout. Yet, there are those who are in the light and that is where the LORD is fixed. He is looking to and listening for the righteous to bless them and guide them. The LORD is looking for the righteous to carry His Word and Grace forward to the world to bring more into the light. You see, the LORD loves all and wants all to experience salvation, and He will fix on all once they have turned to Him. Until then, He will remain fixed on the righteous and lead them to their reward in heaven.

What is your view of where God should be focused? Are you one that believes that God should give all the same regardless of standing with Him? What if you realized that the LORD loves all, and is fixed on the righteous and waiting for you to join them in the light?