The Bible says, ‘Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him’ (Jeremiah 17:7). To succeed at whatever God calls us to do, we must learn to be confident; not self-confident but confident in Christ. Paul said I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency. Jesus said without Me you can do nothing (John 15:5). It's so difficult to learn this truth and much of our frustration comes from misplaced confidence. Paul says: Put no confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:3). Paul wasn’t saying we shouldn't trust anyone, he was saying we'll succeed if we put our trust in God. To succeed at anything we must have confidence but it must be confidence in God. We must believe that He wants us to succeed.

We may fail on our way to success, but if we trust God, He will take our mistakes and cause them to work out for our good (See Romans 8:28). Sometimes our confidence is shaken when trials come, especially if they’re lengthy. When this happens we must do what David did: He encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord (1 Sam 30:6). When David had no one else to believe in him, he believed in himself; but he also believed in God’s ability to work through him. Jesus assures us: I am in you, but I can only do through you, what you believe Me for. Think about that!

- Mike Gargrave