Confident in Christ

"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded."

~Hebrews 10:35

It's so easy for us to throw away confidence because we feel so incompetent, incomplete, or inconsistent in being good. We throw away confidence because we are uncomfortable in our surroundings, in our present situations, and in our own bodies. We kick confidence to the curb when we lack trust in God. Comfort, confidence, and competence all come when we identify ourselves in Christ and when we put our trust in Him.

The trust we need to have in an unseen God and an unseen future must be stronger and more complete than the trust we have in a visible world and a visible present. "But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8) When we trust in what we cannot see, then we have the confidence to face any situation, any challenge, and any unforeseen future with courage and conviction that God is in control.

The beauty of finding our identity in Christ is that He identifies with us. He knows what we are up against, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first" (John 15:18). Keeping a mindset that we belong to Him and He created us in His image can give us the confidence that we are not alone. He secures us in who He made us to be. Therefore, we can become less concerned with who we are not and more comfortable in who we are.

Finally, confidence comes with a faith that is strong. How do you measure this? How do you know if your faith is strong? Then, look at the way you wait. Ask yourself these three questions:

1. Who or what are you waiting on? If it’s not God, then you’re not waiting in faith.

2. Are you waiting patiently? In other words, are you waiting without complaining, without being frustrated, without being angry at God, without wanting to force an answered prayer or a change to happen? If you’re not being patient, then you are in danger of making something happen that isn’t part of God’s plan for you.

3. Are you waiting confidently in the Lord? That is, are you without a doubt believing He will come through? If not, then go back to His Word. See how He’s been faithful throughout time. (Check out Hebrews 11 as a place to start.)

Why wait patiently and confidently on God? Because it’s worth it. Truly. And you’re worth it, too. Therefore, do not throw away your confidence. Put it in Christ; it will be richly rewarded. Great is His victory! Great are His works! Praise God for the confidence we can have in Christ and because of Christ!