OPINION —
Confidence is a powerful thing. It affects the way we speak, the decisions we make and the challenges we’re willing to face. But not all confidence is the same. There is a confidence the world offers, and there is a confidence that comes from God. One is built on shifting sand. The other is anchored to the Rock.
The world tells us to believe in ourselves. It says our confidence should come from our talents, our accomplishments, our education, our bank account or our reputation. As long as those things remain, we feel secure. The problem is that every one of those foundations can be shaken. Health fades. Money disappears. Careers end. Even the strongest among us eventually discover our own limitations.
The Bible warns us about this kind of misplaced confidence. In 1 Kings 20, King Ben-Hadad of Syria marched against Israel with overwhelming force. Before the battle had even begun, he spoke as though victory were already his. His confidence rested in the size of his army and the strength of his position. Yet, God gave Israel an unexpected victory, proving that the outcome of battle is not determined by numbers but by His power. After the victory, Ben-Hadad simply shifted his confidence to a different strategy, believing Israel’s God was only powerful in the hills and not on the plains. Once again, he learned the hard way that confidence placed anywhere other than God will eventually collapse.
David presents a striking contrast.
When he walked into the Valley of Elah, he didn’t ignore the size of Goliath. He simply believed that God was greater. His confidence wasn’t rooted in his sling, his experience or his courage. It was rooted in the Lord. David declared, “The battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands” (1 Samuel 17:47). That is true confidence. Notice that biblical confidence is not arrogance. Arrogance says, “Look what I can do.” Confidence in God says, “Look what God can do.” One exalts self while the other exalts the Lord.
The apostle Paul understood this difference as well. He had an impressive resume by worldly standards, yet he wrote, “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day” (2 Timothy 1:12). Paul’s confidence wasn’t in his past accomplishments or his own strength. It rested entirely in the faithfulness of God.
Perhaps that’s the question each of us should ask ourselves: What is my confidence resting on today? If it is built upon our own abilities, then fear will eventually find us because we know deep down that we are not enough. But when our confidence rests in God, we can face uncertainty with peace, not because we know what tomorrow holds, but because we know the One who holds tomorrow.
The world offers confidence that lasts only as long as circumstances cooperate. God offers confidence that remains even when everything else falls apart. Choose carefully where you place your trust. One confidence will fail you. The other never will.
