Focus: Amplify Your Confidence!

Text: Act.28:31

"Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, WITH ALL CONFIDENCE, no man forbidding him."

Paul declares the kingdom message with all confidence, boldness, and outspokenness. To speak as God's oracle and succeed in any venture, one must exude confidence. Someone has said that the difference between try and triumph is the little umph.

Confidence stems from assurance and persuasion. In the Latin, confidence means to firmly rely or have full trust. A confident person is convinced of certain things and is never deterred by life's uncertainties. He is fully persuaded that certain steps will definitely bring about certain goals or results. 

A confident person has deep convictions and sure expectations. He prayerfully conquers his fears and takes courageous steps beyond the comfort zone.

Caleb calms the people and speaks to them with utter confidence. He says, "Let us go up at once, and possess it; for WE ARE WELL ABLE TO OVERCOME IT" (Num.13:30). That is a man of confidence speaking! Paul says, "Being confident of this very thing… I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil.1:6; 4:13). Thomas Edison said, "If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves."

John himself declares, "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us" (1Jh.5:14). 

A confident person talks confidently, walks confidently, works confidently, worships confidently, and prays confidently to God, and battles confidently against demons.

We read of David, "And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David HASTED, and RAN toward the army to meet the Philistine" (1Sam.17:48). David confidently and courageously ran to meet the giant. He refused to surrender to cowardice. It is important to note that he was barely seventeen years of age, but he could not be intimidated or terrorized, and guess what, he defeated and killed the giant. He was confident in his God.

In being confident, one must be wary of false confidence, and false confidence has to do with confidence in the flesh, and confidence in the flesh is having the belief that one can handle things on his own, God or no God. Confidence in the flesh is leaning heavily on the side of human ability, contacts and connections. Understand also that false confidence and over-confidence share affinity.

God wants us to exude confidence in all we do. Believe in God! Believe your God, and also believe in yourself and in what you can do! Michelle Obama says that "your success will be determined by your own confidence and fortitude."

In this new year, learn to boost your confidence. I pray for your faith to increase and grow exceedingly. Faith produces evidence. The person of faith has proofs. People of faith become achievers. Amplify your confidence!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter