Live with more Confidence - 6 things you can do

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.

What is Confidence?

Dictionary: firm belief - trust - sense of assurance.

If we had a confidence meter how would you score? If we had a confindence meter who would it show your trust was in?

Biblically Confidence comes from having your trust in God. Prov 3:26 The Lord shall be your confidence.

The Bible says there is no One better to trust in.

Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done, And Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. Psa 40:5NAS

Be YOURSELF

One teen-age girl to another: "I developed an entirely new personality yesterday -- but my father made me wash it off."

By the grace of God I am what I am! 1 Cor 15:10 NAS That's what I call Popeye theology. Remember? I am what am - I'm Popeye the sailor man.

We often have a sense of being different - needing something to make us better.

One matronly individual to the department store information booth and asked the pretty young woman to direct her to the perfume counter. "Just walk this way," she said, taking the lead. "Humpf!" the matronly lady said. "If I could walk that way I wouldn't need perfume."

God says, don't cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself or your importance, but try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities by the light of the faith God has given you. Romans 12:3 PH

At such a time as this should not trust in God still be your confidence? Job 4:6LB

Do your BEST

Matt Fitzgerald was the employee of the month at John Muir Hospital this month. A good reward and confidence booster for doing your best.

Your ability is God's gift TO YOU. What you do with it is your gift BACK TO GOD.

Let everyone be sure that he is doing his very best, for then he will have the personal satisfaction of work well done and won't need to compare himself with someone else. Galatians 6:4NCV

It is more important to DO my best than to BE the best.

Don't COMPARE

When we compare we compete. When we compete we imitate. When we imitate we cheat ourselves.

We are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. 2Cor 10:12 NAS

The need to compare. It is an unhealthy need. If I am always looking at others to see how I am doing, I may never know how I am doing. Faithfulness for example, is not relative. You are or you are not. How someone else is using their ability is no measure of mine.

How do I stop comparing?

At the beginning of her career, Marlo Thomas was concerned people would compare her talents to those of her father, Danny Thomas. Could she live up to his reputation? Would she be as funny as he was? How could she get people to look beyond her father's track record? Danny put it all in perspective. "You're a thoroughbred," he told Marlo from the beginning, "and thoroughbreds don't watch other horses; they run their own race." As Marlo prepared for one of her first roles, a package was delivered to her backstage dressing room. To her surprise, the package contained a set of horse blinders along with a note from her father. The note read, "Run your own race, kid."

God too says, Run in a way you may win. 1 Corinthians 9:17

Comparing will ruin your confidence and damage your relationship to God and your friends.

It even effects Kings, David said; I had almost stopped believing; I had almost lost my faith because I was jealous of proud people. I saw wicked people doing well. Psa 73:2-3

Choose the RIGHT FRIENDS

There can be no friendship without confidence, and no confidence without integrity. The right friend can be hard to find.

A few years back Pepper Rodgers was in the middle of a terrible season as football coach at UCLA. It even got so bad that it upset his home life. He recalls, "My dog was my only friend. I told my wife that a man needs at least two friends and she bought me another dog.

Someone has suggested, that as rare as true love is, true friendship is even rarer.

Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down. -Oprah Winfrey

Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." I Corinthians 15:33 NIV

BE A FRIEND TO GOD AND OTHER ENCOURAGERS

Psa 15:1 O Lord, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill? 2 He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, And speaks truth in his heart. The Lord gives us friends to push us to our potential

Prov 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.

Encourage one another and build each other up. Thessalonians 5:11NIV

One day Pooh Bear is about to go for a walk in the Hundred Acre wood. It's about 11:30 in the morning. It is a fine time to go calling--just before lunch. So Pooh sets out across the stream, stepping on the stones, and when he gets right in the middle of the stream he sits down on a warm stone and thinks about just where would be the best place of all to make a call. He says to himself, "I think I'll go see Tigger." No, he dismisses that. Then he says, "Owl!" Then, "No, Owl uses big words, hard-to-understand words." At last he brightens up! "I know! I think I'll go see Rabbit. I like Rabbit. Rabbit uses encouraging words like, 'How's about lunch?' and 'Help yourself, Pooh!' Yes, I think I'll go see Rabbit." Strengthen the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God." Acts 14:22 NIV

We all need confidence builders in our friends. God is a confidence builder. Our bests friends are confidence builders. Its tough out there, choose the right friends.

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later. Rom 8:18NCV

Commit your life to a purpose greater than YOURSELF

A wise man is cautious and avoids danger; a fool plunges ahead with great confidence. Proverbs 14:16LB

Those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? Matthew 16:25-26 NRSV

Trust GOD ALWAYS

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He 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

TRUST is to have your ROOTS IN CHRIST

Heat refers to the time of CRISIS

Drought is Long TIMES OF GOING without

When I am afraid, I will put my confidence in you. Yes, I will trust the promises of God. Psalm 56:3LB

It is better to trust the Lord than to put confidence in men. Psalm 118:8 LB

Everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. Mat 7:24 NAS