This weekend, I attended a men's conference that taught about 'legacy.' It was a great word on what I would consider modern manhood from a Godly perspective. It was such an edification to my spirit and a motivation to my walk with the Lord. The speaker gave a moving and truthful presentation on obedience to God and His call on our lives. He talked about loving God and how obedience is the method for communicating love to the Father. He spoke about humility and vision; perseverance and endurance. But what brought great thought to my spirit was his commentary on courage and confidence. You know, the 'manly' stuff.
He quoted Hebrews 10:35, supplementing the word saying that, "resiliency is built through endurance." (Did you know that the more wind a palm tree must endure during the growing seasons, the stronger the palm tree becomes and the deeper its roots plant themselves into the ground?) He propones that confidence is the result of your history, your experiences, your memories. Because of what you have seen and now know, you are confident in your understanding. He taught from Deuteronomy 8 to show how God reminded the Israelites of His provision and His presence before leading them into the Promise Land. Our memories are the foundation to our confidence, as we remember how God led us through our own wilderness; how God tested us for our own benefit, to realize of our strengths and talents in Him; how God provided for us in times of need; how God disciplined us and softened our hearts because of His love of us. These memories and experiences provide basis for our confidence in Christ.
I believe word confidence is a reference to our faith or, I would even dare to suggest, our faithfulness. The suffix "ence" is the "act of" or "attribute." The prefix "con" mean to be "with." And the root of the word comes from the latin word, "fe," or "faith." The term literally means to act with faith, or to have the attribute of faith. Faith, as the word describes, is the "substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen." Faith is a 'knowing' without the need for material proof. Confidence is victory over fear and doubt, and I believe that fear is the ultimate oppositional force to God's will for our lives. Within this force, I feel are two types of fear. Fear as a result of doubt, and fear as a result of ignorance. Both will hinder what God is doing in your life, unless you conquer them with the power of God's word and submission to the Holy Spirit.
The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy; and his greatest tool is fear, used to bring doubt in your mind and heart regarding the truth of our creator, His holy word. Confidence or the attribute of Faith is the manner in which you conquer fear that is rooted in doubt. Your memories of God's hand on your life and your focus on His word is how you grow in confidence. Doubt is the basic struggle to operating in and realizing our salvation. The Bible tells us that if we believe in our heart and confess with our mouths, we shall be saved. Doubt is the disease that attacks our salvation, because if we lose our faith, we lose our hope. Colossians 1:27 refers to Christ in us, as the 'hope of glory.' To lose hope, is to lose our connection with Christ. This is not to say that if you doubt, you are not saved. No, we all face doubt because we are human. But, in the face of doubt we must choose to remember God's will and focus our hearts, mind, and meditation on his provision and his promise. This is how we battle our doubt and hold on to the promise of salvation.
The question remains, though, is salvation alone our goal? Don't get me wrong. Salvation is an amazing miracle and should never be under-valued. However, is it enough to simply believe. Your belief, your love, and your passion for and in Jesus Christ should be the motivational force behind every accomplishment, goal, and ambition in your life. Are you acting or sediment? God has a plan and a purpose for each of us. "For I knew you before I formed you in your mother's belly," Jeremiah 5:1 and then he further defines our purpose in 29:11, "for I know the plans I have for you..." Combating this purpose is the second line of attack in which the enemy uses fear to destroy God's will for our lives. This is where courage comes in.
Courage was the main topic of the final session at this conference. The context came from Joshua 1:1-x. God spoke to Joshua after Moses had died and encouraged him in this new role God had appointed him to as Moses's successor. God affirmed the promise of presence, telling Joshua, "just as I was WITH Moses, I will be With you." When we contemplate the will of God in our lives and the call He has spoken to our hearts, it is easy to become consumed with fear. Not necessarily the fear rooted in doubt, but that which is rooted in ignorance, the unknown. The way be battle this fear is through God-given courage. To take strength in the understanding that in our weakness, God is powerful enough to fill the gap.
I heard a quote in a very manly, action packed movie called, "The Princess Diaries," that really struck me. The young princess finds a letter from her Dad written to encourage her in her new role of Princess of Genovia. She was full of fear, not knowing if she could adequately handle the responsibilities and difficulties of this "call," if you will. (see, I told you it was manly.. ok, maybe not, but it is very relevant) He told her that "courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgment that something is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all." When it comes to the God ordained call or purpose of our lives, it is important to understand that fear of the unknown (all the how's involved, the inexperience, the mystery of what lies ahead) is normal and human. But you must make the decision that God's kingdom is more important than those fears. To take the steps of faith, spurred by your confidence in God's might, to accomplish his will for your life.
This idea of walking confidently and courageously as a believer, is what I was most challenged with at this conference. God provided much revelation, and has strengthened my desire for more of his word. I have made a game plan for myself to grow in these principles. To live life in such a way to positively affect those around me. To see God's plan for my life revealed and to walk in obedience to His call. Because if we choose not to do or be what God has spoken to our hearts, we are operating in disobedience. I will leave you with this quote from the speaker, as a challenge to you. "The more you procrastinate obedience, the more you become complacent in your disobedience... It is better to die surging ahead [toward God], than to drown in apathy and complacency."
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