Self-Confidence without Pride and Arrogance

Our beliefs must be based upon the truth that God is all powerful and ever-living and we are tiny speck of dust in the universe. This is the reality. We read the glory of God in the Book of Job, Job's reply to Bildad as follows,

7 “It is He who spreads out the north over emptiness

And hangs the earth on nothing.

8 “He wraps the waters in His clouds [which otherwise would spill on earth all at once],

And the cloud does not burst under them.

9 “He covers the face of the full moon

And spreads His cloud over it.

10 “He has inscribed a circular limit (the horizon) on the face of the waters

At the boundary between light and darkness.

11 “The pillars of the heavens tremble

And are terrified at His rebuke.

12 “He stirred up the sea by His power,

And by His understanding He smashed [proud] [c]Rahab.

13 “By His breath the heavens are cleared;

His hand has pierced the [swiftly] fleeing serpent.

14 “Yet these are just the fringes of His ways,

The faintest whisper of His voice!

Who can contemplate the thunder of His [full] mighty power?”

[Job 26:7-14]

And, we read in the Book of Psalm, chapter 103

As for man, his days are like grass;

Like a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

[Psalms 103:15]

In the modern society, we are repeatedly told self-confidence is an essential ingredient for a healthy personality. We are constantly told that we need to raise our self-esteem to be successful. When we talk about self-confidence, what is the 'self' that we are talking about? Is it about the 'body', being confident about our body? Unfortunately, we cannot be confident about the body, because it is perishable. Is it about the 'mind', the mind that is full of defects of anger, greed, desire and hatred. Are we suppose to be confident about our mind? The basis of self-confidence is wrong. The true self is our Soul. Where does the confidence about our soul arise from? The confidence arises from connection of the soul with God. When we humble ourselves with the thinking that without the power and grace of God, we  are most insignificant being in the entire universe, then our self-esteem can never be damaged. We must be confident in the belief that by God's grace we can do anything. 

"I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me” [Philippians 4:13]

Amen!