Extreme Confidence
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:
Judges 6
SHOW NOTES:
Extreme confidence is one of the key factors in moving you to the next level of what God wants to do in your life.
We all have most likely dealt with insecurity at one point or another. Confidence is the opposite! There comes a point when we have to deal with the narrative of insecurity–that we are not good enough or that maybe we aren’t on the right path. To combat the narrative we need to know what God’s word says in the area of confidence!
As children of God, we should be some of the most secure people in the world. To change your life, you must change your thinking. You have to get extreme confidence! As we change the way we think about ourselves, everything around us changes, too. Thoughts can limit and box us in, keeping us from excelling. Did you know that most limits are not even from the enemy? Limits are usually self-imposed! Decide to break limits and break out into what God wants to do in and through you.
Scripture is full of principles regarding confidence to glean from. Judges 6, for example, tells the story of Gideon who was called to participate in a battle for the Lord. Even though Gideon lacked confidence and was found hiding in a winepress, an angel of the Lord addressed him as a mighty man of valor. Confused, Gideon thinks the angel must be talking to someone else; that’s simply not how he saw himself.
See, we all will have opportunities to believe a narrative we have created about ourselves. We allow our flaws, mistakes, and shortcomings to override the positive attributes of our character, creating mindsets that dictate who we are. If we aren’t careful, we may adhere to that image or narrative over the one God has given us…the one He has empowered and equipped us to be.
Contrary to some beliefs, insecurity stems from focusing on ourselves rather than God Himself. If you’ve found yourself plagued with insecurity, return the focus to God. Just as He was with Gideon, God is asking us to get the focus off of ourselves and the natural reasons we shouldn’t be chosen. Be willing and obedient to Him and who He says you are. Sure, you may not be the most adequate, but if God has qualified you–that is enough!
So, how do you become and stay confident in your calling?
Don’t compare or compartmentalize
Comparison will rob you of the life you want. God has not made two people alike. He has made us different and unique and gives us our calling and purposes. If you focus on what someone else is doing and lose focus on what He’s calling you to do, you take yourself out of a space of grace in your life. If you find yourself caught in the comparison game, take those thoughts captive. This might require a limit to social media and instead, feeding the things that give you life, not the things that make you feel more insecure.
Surround yourself with the right people.
Who you surround yourself with does affect your emotions and your thought life. Turn down the volume on the wrong voices and turn up the volume on the right ones. Surround yourself with the people who truly celebrate and want the best for you!
Invest in yourself.
Have enough love for yourself that you take care of yourself, whatever that looks like for you. You’re worth it! Exercising, praying, eating healthy–take the time to invest and your confidence level will go up.
Be kind to yourself.
Self-talk is huge! Your voice is the loudest voice you will hear and believe. Don’t let negative self-talk keep you down. Speak positive declarations over your life and believe them!
Lean into your strengths, but challenge yourself too.
Do the things you already know that you’re good at and do what you’re made to do naturally that you excel in, but also be willing to challenge yourself. Start a new hobby or project and watch your confidence grow.
Be authentic to who you’re created to be.
Experience internal relief and confidence when you stop trying to be someone else, and instead be authentically you. Thrive in who God has called you to be.
Extreme confidence is adhering to what God says you are rather than the years of things you’ve been telling yourself. Refuse to listen to the voices of doubt of why you can’t or shouldn’t–stick to how God sees you. As you do these things, my prayer is that your mindset will change and your whole life will change as you begin to operate in extreme confidence