Confident Humility

 

By Andrea Merrell

Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved.
In quietness and confidence is your strength.

Isaiah 30:15 NLT

 

Confident humility. I read these words in a Facebook post recently. Sounds like an oxymoron, right?

Think about it for a minute. Many shy away from being confident because they view it as arrogance, while they see humility as being weak, a doormat. But when you put the two together, what do you have?

The character of Jesus.

Jesus humbled Himself, gave up His heavenly privileges, and left His deity behind to come to earth as a human. To walk among us as a servant. To live a selfless life of obedience.

Yet Jesus walked in complete confidence, knowing who He was and that He was sent to do the will of the Father. He never doubted or second-guessed His mission and never allowed Himself to be ruled by His flesh or sidetracked by His emotions.

Can we do the same? Absolutely. The Bible tells us to humble ourselves. To offer ourselves as living sacrifices. To not think more highly of ourselves than we should. To put others first. To deny ourselves and follow Him.

But we’re also called to approach God’s throne with confident assurance. To be bold and strong. To put on His armor so we can stand against the attacks of the Enemy. To walk in the power of His might. To be overcomers.

The Bible says, in quietness and confidence is your strength.

That’s confident humility.

Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Stuart Miles.

TWEETABLE

Jesus displayed both confidence and humility, and we are called to do the same. via @Andrea Merrell (Click to tweet.)

Be Careful Who You Confide In

By Andrea Merrell

A perverse person stirs up conflict,

    and a gossip separates close friends.

Proverbs 16:28 NIV

It was one of those “something told me” moments when I realized I shouldn’t be sharing my issues with certain individuals. I didn’t listen, and it came back to haunt me.

It’s important for all of us to have someone to talk to and confide in, especially when we’re going through a hard time. But we have to choose that person (or persons) wisely. There are many listening ears, but not all are trustworthy.

We must choose a friend, counselor, or accountability partner who can keep a confidence. Someone who won’t gossip and spread our private issues around. Someone who walks according to the principles of God’s Word. We also need someone who will let things go and not make us wear a label for the rest of our life.

Pastor and author Bob Gass says:

Bad news is often remembered longer than good news. Long after you have resolved the issue and moved on with your life, the wrong people will continue to focus on it and talk about it. That’s why God’s Word says, “Those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.”

God is always ready and willing to come to your rescue. Take your problems to Him, and be careful who you confide in.

(Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net/stockimages.)

TWEETABLE

Take your problems to God, and be careful who you confide in. (Click to Tweet.)

To read in browser, click here.