Need Confidence? Yes, Please.

Lack confidence? If you have been humbled and not built up by others due to social or professional status, then you may. I certainly have felt a lack of confidence in my lifetime.  I like to think it was for the sake of growth and being able to minister to others who have been through the same thing. I have been in some rather unfortunate situations where I was bullied, which definitely affected my level of confidence. One phrase that still occasionally rattles around my head was from a childhood bully. “Who poured you in your pants?” he said. (He was referring to my thick thighs.) There have been other times when family members of the patients/clients I was serving were less than loving. Co-workers have said demeaning things. Other professionals have belittled me in public. Etc., etc. Wow, that sounded depressing, huh? I share it for a reason. Life has a way of humbling me over and over. It is that way for most people. If it weren’t for my Lord, I would be finished. Humbled beyond repair.
 
There is a certain beauty in humility that should be acknowledged. The lack of ego is a huge accomplishment and something I aspire to. Far too often, people are given a false sense of confidence which leads to an ego problem. This is so sad to me because in an instant all the things that make someone appear confident (money, fame, social status) can be taken. My career serving others and sharing in their pain has taught me that well.
 
But how do we take the beauty of humility into our hearts and live it every day without feeling crushed by what life has brought? How do we have confidence in who we are, yet remain without ego? How do we hold our shoulders back when we feel like crawling under a rock? We must remember to whom we belong. We must remember the example in Jesus we have been given. We must continue to serve and seek God with all our heart. Try to imagine the treasures and beauty that awaits us in our real home. Keep yourself close to those in your life who lift you up and remind you how beautiful your Spirit is. Remember that you are a child of the Most High King. Hold on tightly to that, my friend. Let that be the thing you remember. Let that be the thing that gives you confidence and propels you forward.
 
All of these other things, people yelling at and belittling others and people believing they are somehow better than those around them, are just fleeting, earthly things. The sad thing is that we remember the terrible things people have said to us. It sticks in our head like old gum under a school desk. But when the memory returns, let it go and pray for those who have hurt you. They have issues far beyond anything you will be able to help them with. However, the power of forgiveness is very real.
 
I once had a friend tell me, “You have the best Spirit. I can feel it all over.” Be the person who says that to someone. Be the person who builds others up and speaks blessings over them. Let it be the good things that they remember for a lifetime. You will add to the reason they can feel confident in a humble kind of way.     
 
Speaking blessings over you,
Celeste
“…the Lord will be your confidence…” Proverbs 3:26
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