Are You and Your Kids Confident People?
“D” reminds us that God created each of us wonderfully. Read on to settle further into that truth today.
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For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power,love and self-discipline. 2 Tim 1:7
I give thanks to you that I was marvelously set apart. Your works are wonderful—I know that very well. Ps. 139:14 (CEB)
I’m sure the word, “Enneagram” has popped up on your feed or in conversations in the past few years; my wife and I kind of obsess over it. Many times as we process our days we inevitably end up at how much of a “1” (perfectionist) she tends to be in our home and its cleanliness, and that my “7” (impulsiveness) is absolutely crushing her poor soul with every wet towel I leave on the bathroom floor.
Take any personality test online and you can know “everything” there is to know about yourself… the good and the bad. Often we tend to put much of our energy into how to fix the bad rather than shifting our focus to who (and Who’s) we are as a whole.
What would it look like for us to be assured in ourselves as a creation of God?
- Learn to accept critiques AND compliments. I don’t know why, but it is hard for me to accept any kind of compliment in front of people. I’ll be the first one to admit a mistake or defer “attaboys” to the team around me, but for whatever reason being encouraged in a job well done is just difficult. It took a gentle reminder from a good friend that humility isn’t immediately complimenting someone after being complimented…it is recognizing something great the Lord is doing in you!
- Acknowledge the full truth of who we are. My church has a practice of reciting one simple truth before we hear the message every Sunday morning. The pastor will say, “we are deeply broken,” and we respond, “and deeply loved.” It isn’t much more complicated than that. Sure, we have our flaws, however those shouldn’t be our focus. We are relentlessly pursued by God, who has a never-abandoning love for us. Psalm 139 (CEB) says, we are marvelously set apart. Let’s live as though we are!
- In the end, God’s got us. When we read Joshua 1:9, we should be emboldened to great things. God is with us! Whenever we get called to God-sized plans, we tend to find every reason not to dive in head first, often starting with our own shortcomings. God says, “be strong and courageous! Don’t be scared.” If it ended there, this would just be another motivational speech and not the truth. Our confidence levels are finite, because we are finite beings…so how can we be courageous and not stay frightened when we might be overwhelmed with what’s in front of us? The Lord your God is with you wherever you go. There it is. Not only did He create us and set us apart to do great things, but He will also be with us every step of the way.
Confidence isn’t just recognizing one part of who we are. It is the acknowledgment of our whole being as God sees fit to create and grow us…created for a purpose – to glorify God.
Camper Corner
What might being self-controlled, powerful, and loving all at the same time look like at school? With friends? At home?
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