What Does The Bible Say About Confidence?

Was there ever a time in your life when self-doubt rang so loudly that it was overwhelming? Do you often question your self-worth and somehow never have the courage to believe in yourself, the drive to face the new day or the confidence to conquer the world? This message might be the one you are waiting for. This will be God’s way of telling you, “My child, my sweet child, build your confidence in Me.”

The word of God said in Jeremiah 17:7-8 that “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green. And they never stop producing fruit.” (NLT) Our confidence must be with God alone. He will always be sufficient amid our fear, doubt, and insecurities. 

It is in our nature to be social beings. We are driven by different factors, and these are determined by our genetic makeup. In these differences, we will know our specific identities. At times, there could be similarities with others, but one thing is for sure—no two persons are alike. As social beings, confidence plays a vital role in our co-existence and interaction. Now, the determining factor is, do you have confidence? And if you can answer in the positive, what is the source of that confidence?

The Bible contains constant reminders about where we should put our confidence, which is in God. All other sources will be short-lived and unreliable. You may feel good about it for a while, but it will never last. Being confident is never that we can do so much with ourselves alone. God wants us to have confidence in Him and not to allow the pride of life to trick us into believing that our success is through our efforts and/or that of other people. We are reminded in Psalms 118:8-9 that “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust princes.” (NLT) If we tend to have confidence that is based on ourselves, that will be problematic since it is vulnerable. Be warned—Satan would want us to believe that we can achieve confidence through our own doing and our worldly accomplishments, but this will just fade. True confidence is developed when even in adversity, we can stand firm because our confidence is in God. 

God would very much want us to have confidence in Him and the beautiful life that we have in Christ Jesus. It must be rooted in who we are in Christ; then, it will be a beautiful awakening of spiritual submission to God. He is constantly reassuring us that His love will always see us through. God is sufficient, He is more than enough, and from Him springs life. When we put our confidence in Him, nothing will be left to worry about. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.” (NLT)

All that we are, all that we have, and all that we will ever be comes from God. It is only proper to be in total abandonment to God and put our confidence in Him—Christ-centered confidence. This world can distract you from believing that what we need here is to have faith and to remember that whatever is in this world can never satisfy. In Proverbs 3:26, it says, “For the Lord will be the source of your confidence, and He will guard your foot against being caught in the trap.” (NLT) He will be standing with us; He will protect us from the snares and afflictions of the wicked and even the eventualities and calamities.

How does God build our confidence?

The Lord builds our confidence by building our character and our spirit. He teaches us to look up to Him and make Him our source of strength. His promise to lead and guide us withstands—even in circumstances where we forget that we can readily call upon Him, even when we forget to call on Him, and even if at times we feel unworthy. All we have to do is ask and allow Him to move within us; to change us, build us in confidence, and allow us to grow in faith.

Human beings are created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27). It is so much more than the physical attributes but also that the basic characteristics of man are derived from the characteristics of God. Our ability to reason and think about the complexities of life also comes from Him. However, while we are still here on earth, we will be facing trials and tribulations because this is not our final home. There will be conflicts, difficulties, illness, depression, calamities, and war, but we must take courage because Christ has already overcome this world and all that is not good in it on the cross. There will be no cause for worry even in these difficult times, so we must put our confidence in God. He will be giving us faith and strength to overcome and withstand the challenges of life. 

What does God say about being confident?

The Lord’s love for man has been manifested since the beginning of time when He created us after Him. From then on, God has looked at man with love despite his downfall when he sinned. He made a way for man and will always make a way for man. That is why, even amid the chaos of this world, God wants man to look for Him, seek Him, and call for Him. Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (NIV)

God wants us to put our confidence in Him. He wants us to be confident about His love and know that He will always see us through even the most trying times. His assurance, in Matthew 6:25, says, “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor yet for your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than meat and the body than raiment?” (NIV)

God did not promise that everything will be easy. He did not say that there will be no challenges or that there will be no testing. What He promised is that He will be with us during these times and that we can always call on Him. We need to trust that everything will work together for the good of those who love the Lord. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminded us to trust God alone. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” 

Where not to put your confidence

Do not be tricked by the world into believing that confidence comes from it or that all that you will ever need to be built into the best version of yourself is set by the standards of the world. 

The following are the considerations a Christian must avoid in building his confidence:

Self – because man’s heart may fail. (Psalm 73:26) My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever. 

Relationships – because man falls short. (Psalm 118:8) It is better to trust the Lord than to put confidence in man. 

Earthly possessions – because they will just get corrupted. (James 5:2) Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. 

Physical attributes – because beauty is fleeting. (Proverbs 31:30) Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

Confidence is a good thing for an individual to develop. It is a vital element in man’s interaction and co-existence with other human beings. However, our confidence must be built in the Lord from the assurance of His love and grace. Man’s character must follow after God, and His confidence must be in the Lord, in the assurance that His plans for us are for our good. Confidence is not something that can be developed through the things found in this world. If confidence is from the world, it will never have a strong foundation, and a man who builds confidence in the world will stumble and fall when he least expects it to happen. He will be likened to a fool whose foundation is not strong enough to withstand the storms of life.