As a Pastor and mentor, I teach many young aspiring ministers wanting to learn to walk with God and build their confidence.
Many of them feel an immense tension between who they want to be and the fear that holds them back from becoming it.
Whether it's becoming a better speaker, being bolder in the pulpit, or stepping out further than we ever have, we all need confidence.
As a man of faith, I believe that "The God-given confidence" infused in us through the power of His Spirit is vital to our success. The more you are led by the Spirit of God, the greater your confidence and success.
1. Building confidence:
No silver bullet magically kills your fears and frees you to be courageous. Instead, confidence building requires walking in faith, trusting in the promises of God, and knowing that "greater is He that is with you" and in you than any challenge in front of you.
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:9
And the more you trust and depend on the word of the Lord, the more confident you will grow.
2. The Confidence Formula
Building confidence starts with being courageous. You have to put yourself out there and try new things. If you are unwilling to take the first step, you can't take any after that. Peter, the disciple of Jesus, did something that no other human has done; walk in the water because he had faith and courage.
"Confidence requires you to get comfortable with being uncomfortable."
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3. All growth takes place outside the comfort zone.
If you only do things you're comfortable doing, you'll never grow your abilities. In the tension of pushing ourselves, we grow into our potential.
The more we consistently put the effort in, the more confidence we will get out of it.
4. Stepping out
Remember, no one starts with unparalleled confidence. When God called Joshua to lead Israel in the conquest of the Promise Land, he was fearful and lacked confidence. God detected fear in his spirit and encouraged him: "Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed."
You start with fear and trembling, slowly becoming slightly comfortable and consequently gaining confidence.
You don't wake up one day with a full tank of confidence; you grow into it as you put your trust in the Lord and stay strong and courageous.
We don't become confident and then step out, we step out, and confidence starts to fill us. When we get going, confidence starts flowing. Be patient with the consistent effort you're putting in, and let the Spirit of the Lord do its work.
5. Multiplied By Opportunity
The more opportunities you say yes to, the more chances you have to build your confidence.
Avoiding opportunities to challenge yourself only delays growing your confidence. Every time you turn down a chance to work your confidence muscle, you are weakening it.
Don't wait for the opportunity to come your way; go after it. If you want to expedite your confidence growth, seek things that will push you to do something you have never done.
Be bold and speak up in a meeting, even if you fumble through it. You need to get through the fumbling process to gain confidence.
Make that presentation, even if you are terrified of speaking in front of others. You must face your fears head-on to overcome them.
Be bold and take on that project, even if you think you need more time to be ready. You need to build experience to grow confident.
Consistent apathy, over time, multiplied by avoiding opportunity, equals no confidence.
So keep trusting in the Promises of God, walking in the Spirit, being strong and courageous, putting in the hard work, staying focused on opportunity, and being bold when seizing chances for growth. Confidence will follow.
Have a Blessed week
Pastor (Rev. Elias Limones)
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