Confidence in God is not built upon our emotions and feelings but on our beliefs and understanding of God’s nature and character. This is done through study and believing God’s Word.
The 10 keys to help us develop our confidence and trust in God
1. Know / Understand the nature and character of your God
We cannot trust a God we do not know. We must know the attributes and promises of God in order to trust Him well. Not only do we need to read and know God through His Word, but we need to grow in it.
2 Peter 3:17-18 declares “You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Ladies and gentlemen, growth requires three main things namely time, intentionality, and consistency. Sadly, the process of growing in our knowledge of God through His Word can often seem like the most meaningless time of our day whilst in reality, it is the most important. We will never become confident Christians if we staff our hearts and minds from time in his word.
2. Understand that you are a new creation – You are a Christ’s Ambassador
1 Peter 2:9 declares “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…”
Before we knew the Lord, our identity was marred by sin. As a result, we had no opportunity to have any fellowship with our holy God. When we came to know Jesus, he gave us the fullness of his righteousness again.
When God looks at us, he sees his Son. This is why apostle Paul said there in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that we are a new creation. We are not what we were before. The Bible says in Psalm 103:12 that all our frustrated and failed efforts to make something of ourselves were cast as far away as the east is from the west. Our very sinful nature and identity was replaced upon receiving Jesus Christ is our savior. We are now sons or daughters of God and are given the freedom to live like it.
Romans 8:15 declares. 15 For [the Spirit which] you have now received [is] not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption [the Spirit producing sonship] in [the bliss of] which we cry, Abba (Father)! Father!
3. Know that the Lord is your helper and advocate.
John 14:26 (AMPC) declares, “ But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.”
God did not redeem us to leave us with insufficient means to carry out our new purpose. He promises us that Holy Spirit will come to live within us to help us know truth and walk in obedience as a result (John 14:16-17). He guarantees that as we pray, Holy Spirit intercedes for us according to the will of God (Romans 8:27). He assures us that temptation will never be so great that we lose the capacity to overcome it (1 Corinthians 10:13). He tells us that we walk in victory as we share the gospel.
2 Corinthians 2:14“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
4. Refuse to be distracted and purpose to renew your mind with God’s Word daily
Joshua 1:8, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
Distractions come in many forms and even from a well-meaning friend who are constantly luring our attention from what is truly good towards the natural. This must be why the God extolled Joshua to meditates on God’s word day and night.
5. Walk humbly before your God
1 Peter 5:5 “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
Trusting our own talents, skills, and abilities feels far more natural than relying upon a God we cannot see directly. But our own attributes and resources will NOT satisfy us. To be humble implies putting your all trust and confidence on God.
We can trust God’s attributes and resources because they never change. They are always steady and sure and in all circumstances. Our pride blinds us to this truth and makes us believe that we are the sustaining force of our own lives. Humility counteracts pride and reminds us that the only form of confidence that carries any weight is confidence in the Lord’s work, not our own. That is humility.
6. Guard against finding your confidence in the affirmation of people
Pride makes us crave praises from others. While we are called to love one another and therefore gain their favor to the best of our ability (Matthew 5:16; Romans 12:18), we are also told that we will be reviled for the name of Christ (Matthew 10:22).
Our confidence is falsely placed if we seek it in the people around us. This practice makes us unstable believers that are prone to altering our course based on circumstance, feedback, and emotion. It makes us place too great a burden on people who, just like us, fail. It makes our confidence in God feel like a pendulum swing because it is not grounded in Scripture, but in people-pleasing, even if those people are us. Scripture tells us that seeking the favor of others thwarts our very purpose and role in God’s kingdom.
Galatians 1:10 (NLT) says; “Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.”
Instead of seeking the approval of people, we must live in the approval of Christ. In Christ we can be fully confident because his approval has already been won in full.
7. Embrace who God created you to be.
Psalm 149:14 declares, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”
Genesis 1:27 says; “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
All of us were given unique abilities and gifts at creation so we can fulfill the purpose for which we were created. When we learn to appreciate the gifts, we were given and seek to find new ways to hone them and use them to serve God, our God-confidence increases.
8. Focus on God and not your problems
Even believers struggle with trusting God because life is hard and cruel at times. But we know there is hope and that joy is possible because of the eternal life we have with Christ. Therefore, God wants us to be full of faith and grow in His divine direction, comforted by the Holy Spirit. In this complete trust of our Lord and Savior, we can live with true peace and joy in the midst of adversity.
Philippians 4:6 (TLB) tells us “Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank Him for His answers.” When we live by faith, we believe that God has everything under control and we live out what we believe in our actions, in our thoughts and in our words.
If we are to learn how to be God confident, then we have to learn that focusing on our problems leads to worry and anxiety. When we are anxious and fearful, we lose our confidence in God.
9. Choose faith over fear
Hebrews 13:5-6 declares “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we may boldly say “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
Fear is a natural response to challenges or the unknown. It’s an emotion that serves a valuable purpose (think fight or flight response), but it can quickly become unhealthy when it paralyzes us or propels us into frantic behavior. Negative outcomes aside, the Bible actually commands us to not be afraid.
Fear prevents us from doing the things we need to do and from becoming the person God wants us to be. To develop our God-confidence, we have to learn to choose faith over fear. We have to remember that every challenge we face is an opportunity to give God the glory as He works in our lives to fulfill His purpose for us.
10) Walk in obedience – Do whatever the Lord instructs for you to do
Deuteronomy 10:13 says, “And you must always obey the Lords commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.”
Jeremiah 42:6b “For if we obey Him, everything will turn out well for us.”
The word obedience is defined as compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another authority according to Oxford Languages.
For Christians, this definition becomes, compliance with Gods orders, requests, or laws or submission to God’s authority. Obedience to God has two parts. First, we are to obey His general commands to all mankind-things like the ten commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) and love God, love people (Matthew 22:37-39). Second, we are to obey commands He gives to us as individuals – like start a faith blog or adopt this child (a couple examples from my own life).
God doesn’t demand our obedience (He did give us free will, after all), but He does show us how we can walk in obedience to Him if we so choose. Throughout His word, we can find tidbits of wisdom that help us learn exactly what we can do to be sure we are obeying Him in all we do.
Sometimes we get caught up in trying to figure out the specific ways God wants us to live out His will in our lives and forget that there are general things we all can do to walk in obedience to Him. Being intentional about obeying in these general areas brings us into a deeper relationship with God, which will lead to hearing His voice more clearly about other things He wants each of us specifically to do.
Ladies and gentlemen, the world is full of uncertainties. These uncertainties include health crises, economic crises, racial conflicts, social injustices, and international relations. All these continue to cause fear into many people’s hearts.
As Christians we know that God is in charge and there is nothing to fear but yet…we hear from many of our Christian friends that their anxiety is out of control, and even crippling.
Apostle Paul’s warning in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 indicated that the days to come would increasingly be filled with false teachings about God, and false doctrines of men.
2 Timothy 3:3-4
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Apostle Paul stressed a growing wave of spiritual deception, false doctrines, and strong delusion that will surround false teachers. He continued even to warn the elders at Ephesus that the wolves were at the doors and soon would be attacking the church as soon as he left (Acts 20). He warned Timothy and all pastors after him in 2 Timothy 1:14, to guard the teaching of truth, and even described the false doctrines that were taught as deadly and destructive as cancer. (2 Timothy 2:16-18).
Jesus Christ had also warned of the faith of believers being assaulted by these waves of false teaching and teachers in Matthew chapter 24. Jude and Peter resounded this same warning and pointed that false teaching and teachers had already made inroads in Christ’s church. At the end of the New Testament era, John also writes that the false teachers’ teachings had deeply impacted the local churches.
The Shipwrecked Faith
What causes a shipwrecked faith?
False teachers who continue to teach false doctrine.
1 Timothy 1:19-20 says, “…. having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, 20 of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.
A good conscience is the rudder that steers the Christian life. Because they rejected the pangs of conscience and the truth, it is no wonder that many suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. It is possible for a believer to have his faith shipwrecked.”
It is common for Christians to wreck their usefulness, virtue, and sanctification by believing error if they do NOT safeguard their faith. Apostle Paul warns that false teaching can shipwreck your soul as well. That is why God wants men who are sound in the faith as teachers and leaders.
The four habits to steer clear of so you don’t find your faith shipwrecked:
- Loving the World. It starts so innocently. We never intend to desire the things of the world more than the things of God. But before we know it, we have made idols of the objects of our desires and our faith pays the price. Scripture warns us: “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). The world will vie for your love and affection. Be wary of loving anything in this world more than Jesus. When something else captures your heart, it will eventually destroy your faith.
- Neglecting God’s Word. One of the easiest ways to become attached to the world and to pursue the temporary, rather than the eternal is to neglect God’s Word. If we aren’t constantly pouring God’s Word and principles into our hearts and minds, we will be stained by the perceptions and priorities of the world in which we live. In His parable of the sower, Jesus warned of “the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22). Reading and understanding Scripture strengthens our faith in the God we sometimes struggle to understand. Don’t neglect God’s Word.
- Trusting Your Feelings. While we should be discerning of the Holy Spirit’s direction and aware of His conviction on our hearts, we can never put our feelings over the facts of Who God is and what His Word says. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure….” Our feelings can mislead us by making us think God has abandoned us, when the facts of His Word say He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Our feelings might tell us God is angry with us and will not give us another chance, but the facts of His Word tell us “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Base your faith not on your feelings, but on the facts of Who God is and What He says in His Word. Your feelings constantly fluctuate but the facts about God (that are found in His Word) never change.
- Relying on Self. We live in a world that praises self-reliance. But Jesus never did. He stressed God-reliance, which takes faith. When we rely on God, our achievements, and successes are no longer about us and our abilities. If they were, we’d have only ourselves to thank. Are you trusting in your abilities to “wow” people when it comes to that job interview? Are you depending on your own strength or wisdom when it comes to a crucial decision? No longer relying on yourself propels your faith forward in ways you can’t imagine. However, to remain “self-sufficient” is to remain “faith-inefficient.”
Ladies and gentlemen, we must remain aware that in these last days, truth is under attack and lies are abounding. Believers who are not grounded in healthy doctrine will suffer shipwreck. They will easily be tossed about on the rocks of doubt and despair. Their lives will be wasted with feelings of hopelessness. Jesus Himself also warned against false teachers and counterfeit religion in Matthew chapter 24.
Matthew 24:3-8
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
How do you keep your focus on Jesus and even strengthen your faith even when the trending worldly news seem so big and scary threat?
First, we must gain assurance that the Lord’s voice is active, and His presence is alive in His Word 24/7.
Secondly, we must realize that God is NOT going to do everything for us. There is a man-ward side and a Godward side. We must engage ourselves in prayer and even fasting, reading of God’s Ward and keep encouraging each other in the Lord.
Let us look at Ephesians 6:11-16 “11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”
The referenced Scriptures provides us with advice on how to stand firm in the Lord. We learn that standing firm in the Lord is done by putting on the full armor of God. According to these verses, this includes filling your life with truthfulness, righteousness, peace and faith.
King Solomon said it best: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23). We guard our hearts against all kinds of distractions from our faith. Our heart is fragile. We have to do what we can to protect it and that is feeding the Word of God daily.
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