What makes one person confident and another one insecure?
Money makes some people think they are invincible. The idea is, the more money they have the more secure their life is. Remember Bernard Madoff? He “managed” millions of dollars for thousands of people who put their trust in money. When his elaborate Ponzi scheme was uncovered in 2008, he, and all of his investors lost it all.
Talent is another source of confidence. The brilliant comedian and actor Robin Williams certainly had talent, yet he spent much of his life battling alcoholism and drug abuse. In August, 2014 he gave up on life and hanged himself in his California home. His talent was indisputable, but it did not give him the confidence he needed to face the challenges of daily living.
Status gives some people a sense of confidence. They think if they can get the corner office or win an election or marry into the right family, their life will be grand. But far too many well-connected marriages end in disaster, elected officials fall or fail, and aggressive, successful executives get fired. Status is always temporary and is a poor substitute for real confidence.
Appearance is another basis for confidence. Many think their youthfulness and good looks will never fade and their abs will be forever firm. Yet everyone who puts their confidence in how they look will eventually be saddened by natural aging process. For many months my wife and I witnessed up-close and personal a beautiful woman wrestle with the aging process. She hired a personal trainer, had portions of her body boosted and tightened with surgery, and spent thousands of dollars on fancy creams and hair coloring. Though her money delayed the inevitable, the inevitable was, well, inevitable.
Education provides a sense of confidence for some. If they can earn a few more letters after their name or merit a new title such as Doctor or Reverend or Your Honor, then they will be forever respected. Here is a sad story in one sentence: I knew a gentleman who worked most of his life at a dry cleaners though he had a law degree.
Money, talent, status, appearance and education are all useful, and contribute to a comfortable and meaningful life. But none are the real source of confidence.
The ultimate source of confidence, YOUR ultimate source of confidence, is your Creator. He knows everything about you. He knows your strengths, weaknesses, good side and bad. He has created within you certain talents and tendencies in precise harmony with his perfect will for your life. Discover his will for your life and you will have all the confidence you need to succeed.
Do you remember the lad who killed the giant Goliath with a slingshot? David was his name. Later in life he wrote, “For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth.” (Ps. 71:5)
There, my friend is your true source of confidence.
