DEVELOPING CHRISTIAN CONFIDENCE



             DEVELOPING CHRISTIAN CONFIDENCE
      Some people treasure earthly things. Thy are things that are temporall.(Matt. 6:19)
 The English word embodies the ideas of reliance on, or trust in, another. A different aspect is that of self-assurance or boldness.
OBJECTS OF FALSE CONFIDENCE
It is natural for human beings to focus confidence in something. Unfortunately, for many, the object of their trust is misdirected.
*Muscle Power
  Confidence is not to be found ultimately in human strength. As a prophet of the Lord proclaimed:
“Thus says Jehovah: Cursed is the man who trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from Jehovah. For he shall be like the shrub in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, an uninhabited salt land” (Jeremiah 17:5-6)
Human wisdom must not be the primary reservoir of confidence. Solomon declared: “Trust in Jehovah with all your heart, and lean not upon your own understanding. In all your spirits’ acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
All too often we ignore this sacred counsel, and attempt to ascertain the solutions to our problems independent of instruction from the Lord, which comes by means of his inspired word.
  *What’s in Your Wallet
For many, wealth is a source of consolation. The number of zeros in one’s bank balance becomes a substitute for trusting him who takes note even of the sparrow that falls to the earth (Matthew 10:29).
Again, the wise man challenges: “He who trusts in his riches shall fall; but the righteous shall flourish as the green leaf” (Proverbs 11:28). 
 *Campaign Promises
There is always talk of how certain political leaders are the solutions to our anxiety problems. But politicians come and go and things change but little when the populous is self-centered rather than God-centered. Hence the admonition: “Put not your trust in princes, nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help” (Psalm 146:3).
Legitimate Objects of Confidence
      Unless one learns to sort out appropriate objects of trust, from those that are not, he will be hopelessly tossed to and fro upon a murky sea of confusion and disappointment.
Let us therefore direct out attention to the more appropriate objects of our confidence.
*Almighty God
The ultimate object of reliable confidence is
Almighty God (i.e., the entire Godhead — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). One must offer up a life of “righteousness,” and “put [his] trust in Jehovah” (Psalm 4:5).
      Again and again the nation of Israel was charged to “trust in Jehovah” (Psalm 115:8-11). Jeremiah instructed:
“Blessed is the man who trusts in Jehovah, and whose trust Jehovah is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, that spreads out its roots by the river, and shall not fear when the heat comes, but its leaf shall be green; and shall not worry in the year of drought, neither shall [he] cease from bearing fruit” (Jer. 17:7-8).
Fellow brethren, time may disappoint us; God never will. We ought to say with Job, “though he slay me, yet will I trust [hope in] him” (Job 13:15).
   *Righteous Servants
Good people , even though weak and flawed on occasion, are worthy of Christian confidence as well. To demonstrate to a person that you have confidence in him or her can be a great source of encouragement. Consider the following:
A good marriage mate generates the confidence of his or her partner (Proverbs 31:11).
Even though the church at Corinth was plagued with problems, Paul encouraged them by expressing confidence in them (2 Corinthians 1:15; cf. also Galatians 5:10).
When Paul dispatched Onesimus back to his owner (Philemon), he expressed confidence in the character of the latter to do the right thing by his runaway servant (Philemon 21).
Demonstrating confidence in others is a wonderful boost to their spirits
   *The Power of Prayer
Scripture teaches us to be confident in our prayers. “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (1 John 5:14).
The key phrase is “according to his will,” and we do not always know precisely what that is.
But no petition, void of faith, will avail. As James expressed the matter like this; let us
“Ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he who doubts is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord; a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (James 1:6-8).
Conclusion
The study of “confidence” from the biblical standpoint is a wonderfully enlightening and profitable endeavor. Pursue it to your own benefit.
And remember this, God does not want us to embrace a spirit of “fearfulness,” but one of power, love, and discipline (2 Timothy 1:7).
 BY BRO. PELUMI ALABA