What is giving you confidence in every day life? Or in what area in your life do you have confidence and what is causing it?
We all want to know that we are important, have a purpose, that we have value and that we mean something to someone or to society! Is it wrong to have these needs? No, not at all. God designed us all with three basic emotional needs: the need to feel safe; the need to have value (and be significant ) and the need to belong (and be loved).
What is wrong, is if we look to our spouses, children, money, status etc. to satisfy these needs. Yes, God want us to encourage each other and tell one another how valuable we are but people and the world should never become the source of these needs. If we always look to other people to determine our value, safety or significance we will always come short or never be all God created us to be!
Some days people may fail to encourage or affirm you because they might be tired, in a hurry, not feeling well, self centered etc. and if you depend on people to show you your value and significance, those days you will live a mediocre life and feel unworthy, which is a lie! You are worthy, valuable and significant because God created you and you belong to God!
“What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are. But that’s also why the world doesn’t recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he’s up to.” (MSG)
When i need approval or validation, I should ask God what He thinks about me, about how i have done at doing my work or how much i am worth. That will never fail and excell me to my true value and purpose!
God has taught me that its all about where i put my confidence and trust. Do i trust Him and what He says about me to be the truth and to determine my true value or do i put confidence in my looks, my job, what others says about me, how i feel or think about myself (which are not always the truth) …. to determine my worth? The latter will give me a false and inadequate identity!
“Open up before GOD, keep nothing back; he’ll do whatever needs to be done: He’ll validate your life in the clear light of day and stamp you with approval at high noon.”Psalm 37:5-6 MSG
Prayer: Father God please forgive me for putting my trust and confidence in flase hopes and things which can never show me my true value! Help me to see myself as you see me, to accept myself the way you accept me with complete acceptance and to love myself unconditionally like you love me unconditionally. Lord if at anytime, I doubt my own worth, help me to turn to you to hear what you say about me and experience in my heart you love and acceptance for me!
Jonanda Burger 