Day 10: False Confidence

“But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the LORD who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the LORD, have spoken!”

Jeremiah 9:24

The older I get the more tempting pride appears to be, but this results in a false confidence which it’s never a good thing! Pride is about self-confidence, making me look good. Trusting in our past success gives us a false hope for the future. By contrast we are called to be confident in the Lord, in his ability, his strength and his goodness. This takes regular steps of faith and then we can confidently declare that “God is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or think.” (Eph 3:20) 

Years ago, I hired a small sailing dinghy with two other friends in the Lake District. We all had far more confidence than ability or experience. After all, we thought, it can’t be that difficult. I had been in a canoe, which I now know is completely different! After pushing out from the jetty we rapidly realised that none of us knew how to sail, or how to harness the power of the wind. Truthfully it was frightening how the wind caught us and we so nearly capsized. We all wished we had asked for help and taken advice before we set off. 

The lesson here is that we need to trust totally in the Lord, and confidently declare that God is able. He longs for us to ask him for help and he is full of compassion and love when we humble ourselves before him. As Paul says, “Being confident of this that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion, until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:6). 

Ian Anderson