Be Confident

When my youngest daughter was in first grade, I began to see a difference in her behavior and attitude towards herself. One day I told her she was beautiful, as I often did, and she responded, “You’re just saying that because you’re my mom!” Another time, I told her she was smart and she listed all the reasons why she wasn’t. As a mom, you can tell when something is off and her countenance concerned me. I would ask her questions, but I couldn't seem to get to the root of the issue.

There were many nights I walked the halls of our house praying for wisdom and one afternoon, as my daughter and I were standing in the kitchen, God gave me just that. My beautiful baby told me she was ugly. I felt heartbroken, but at that moment a wave of righteous anger came over me. I picked her up, sat her on the counter, pinned her down, and eye to eye sternly questioned her, “Who told you that?!” Tears immediately began to flow down her rosy cheeks as she shared how a girl in her class had bullied her and told her that she was ugly! Oh, this momma wanted to go beat someone up, but instead, I began to rebuild what had been broken.

I’m here to ask you today, “Who told you that?” The very first woman, Eve, struggled with the battle of the voices. Genesis 3 shares how the devil intrigued her and tricked her with questions and good desires that were perverted by his intent to make her sin. After she fell for his schemes, she ate of the fruit that was forbidden and her eyes were open. Until this moment of her life, she lived naked and completely unashamed, now she hid from the one that gave her life. However, no matter how much we want to hide from God, He sees us! God questioned Eve, “Who told you that you were naked?” But He didn’t stop there, He clothed her, He covered her and He protected her.

Maybe you can relate to Eve’s feelings of being naked and ashamed. Insecurity can drive us to try to cover up in hopes we will measure up, but confidence is lived out in the open. In our naked truth, we are coved by the love, grace, forgiveness, and protection of God.

Hebrews 10:35 (ESV)
Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.

If we want confidence we have to stop giving it away so easily. I’m going to tell you the things I told my baby girl as we began to rebuild her confidence. Every word that is spoken to you does not have to be accepted by you. Hurting people, hurt people. When life hands out a cruel moment, hand it over to God. He approves you! Measure everything against the Word of God before you give it worth and when you make a mistake remember that God loves you no matter what.

I’ll leave you with this: walk in the confidence of who you are in Christ! Discern the voices and go change the world, my beautiful friend!

- Pastor Celeste Gonzales