Confidence

It is said that the three hardest words for humans to say is "I am sorry", and probably the four hardest words for us to say is "I Could Be Wrong". The worst thing is that it is just as hard to say to ourselves as it is to say to others. This then brings me to the issue of "self-confidence". I've learned that self-confidence is needed to get thru life, as there are many out there who suffers from low self-esteem, and find difficulty in getting anything done. But self-confidence can be a stumbling block, if it is not used properly.

Most people obtain their self-confidence from truth. And these truths can come from experiences in life as well as teachings, advice, and resources from other people. Thus lies the issue of the "validity" of these truths. What if we were confident of something that is false?

Without getting into too much philosophy (meaning of truth, reality, bla bla), I've learned that the Jesus is the only truth that is unshifting. Even though we can twist and turn His words to conform to our ways, but we can't do that in sincerity of heart. And plus, if we lean on the leading of the Holy Spirit, we will have the reassurance of God in our lives. What I'm trying to say is this, that even having the "knowledge" of Christ as our confidence can be dangerous. Even with the revelation of what Christ have done for us, we could still have hearts that are not fully surrended to Him. I guess this is probably why the apostle Paul warned the early church to "work out their salvation with fear and trembling". He is not telling us to ask ourselves whether we are saved daily, but rather, to check our hearts and mind daily.

"I could be wrong". When was the last time we asked ourselves this question, especially in the context when we brought forth a certain issue to a family or friend. Even if the issue was about Christ as a Savior, but did we bring forth the issue with love and gentleness, as instructed to us by the Holy Spirit, or did we do it in arrogance and pride? I believe that perfect love drives out fear, and we can still present the gospel in a loving way, without watering down its message, if we were to wholly be dependent on God for our confidence.

Pride brought down Lucifer. Who are we to say that it won't happen to us. May our confidence never be built on our ability to comprehend the gospel or anything else, but may it be on the fact that we, who are unable to save ourselves, have a King that loves us with a love that's beyond comprehension. May our confidence be built of Christ Himself.

"Search me O God, and I will be found. In Your will, is where I will find rest."