Confidence and Understanding the Problem

I remember being dumb enough to think that since I had a little bit of experience in standing in front of a church and talking (aka giving a sermon) that it would help me in preaching school.

Again, my mind was not thinking very maturely at that time. For I soon found out that many of the guys had had experience in pulpit preaching.

Sometimes we tend to be a bit naive about things. When it comes to confidence, sometimes even that can come from a sense of naivety! That brings us to this week’s quote…

Confidence is the feeling you have before you really understand the problem. - Unknown

Have you ever been there? Had confidence in one area, but really you don't have much confidence. I have taken on some "fatherly" tasks that I have been naive before - simply looking at the directions before reading them!

When it comes to confidence we can have even more because we can all be here for each other. May we be trying to understand the problem so our confidence is not naive!

You Cannot Win If You Don't Enter

"Winner, winner, chicken dinner" is a line from the movie "21" that came out a few years ago. I don't think it is original with that movie, but it was the first time I heard the line. It is a catchy line and stays in your head as you repeat the line over a few times. It was said when a person won at roulette; such a risky game, but usually a big payoff.

You will not experience the great payoff if you do not put your money down. Guaranteed not to win. You can win pretty big if you do play. The more confident in your guess of the number, the more you will put down.

As we examine that text from Sunday's sermon, here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

• Enter ~ Only those who enter will have any chance at winning. Are you wanting to know an answer, looking for something, or anticipating an open door? Enter in to the process of going to God. Ask what you want from God. He can definitely provide what you need. Ask for whatever, but keep in mind, the answer you receive must have been what was needed for you at this point in time. Seek for the grandest and you will enjoy what you find. Knock with the understanding the answer will be just what you need. If you don't you will receive nothing.
• Take a Chance ~ There are times when I utilize a process of asking people for something with an understanding they may say "no" but if I do not ask, I will never know. Do you think it is totally out of the question that you are given what you want, whatever the "want" is? Maybe it is in your future and you just need to ask God. Take a chance and see what you might receive. If you don't you will never know.
• Be Confident ~ "Go big or go home!" One saying says "Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star" by W. Clement Stone. When you are wanting an answer, seeking something, or knocking on a door, do it with confidence and go big. What may come about may not be what you aimed for, but it could be something worthwhile, nonetheless. However, if you aim for something less than the "moon" you will get even less. I don't want to limit God, but ask for something big and leave it up to Him where to send my "arrow."

You could be the next "winner" but you have to open up to do so. Go to God in confidence and humility as you ask, seek and knock. You may be amazed at what you receive, find and what is on the other side of the "door."

Making Room

Inventions are coming out all the time. Just when you thought about everything that could be invented had been…a few months later, something else is out on the market. Sometimes when I see a new and clever product, that seems very logical, I think, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

As I observe a newly released product I will either be attracted to it, repelled by it, or want to investigate it. Sometimes it is just a short time before I realize that this product does not serve much purpose with me. However, for much of the world, they are buying the product “left and right.”

Do you fall into one of those categories? Do you like to buy it, refrain from buying it, or look more into the features? When it comes to the product, it may lead to a boom in sales over a short period of time. It seems that no matter what is invented; there is always more for more inventions. This thought brings us to this week’s quote…

The world has the habit of making room for the man whose words and actions show that he knows where he is going.  ~ Napoleon Hill

Similar to inventions, people who are confident in where they are going in life seem to be attractive. Also, similar to inventions, there is always room for another confident person who makes a positive difference to people in life.

It can be interesting how “attractive” people are that display a knowledge of confidence. I can speak from experience that I have followed someone with this trait; also I have had people follow me based on this trait.

As you are going about life, develop that positive attitude, show it with your words and actions, and lead someone to a great place…there’s always room for more!

Confidence - II Corinthians 3:4-5

Confidence can be exhibited at many levels. The sports star that led the league in a number of categories last year, received a contract extension, and is injury free. The business person who has a company that is doing quite well and their family is healthy and happy. The student who is liked by most and is receiving good marks. The married couple who have had a great marriage for years.

All those are possible areas of confidence. However, what happens when you take something away from the situation? The sports star suffers a rare disease and has to have his leg amputated. The business person has to close their doors due to a recession. The student who is hit by a car and has to go through therapy to even learn how to remember again. The married couple, where one spouse learns they have a tumor, so advanced, only weeks to live.

Where is the confidence in these situations, after these things have happened?

Confidence was higher in the first paragraph because each of those scenarios were about what the person did. None of it had to do with putting their confidence in God. It was their successes. Their situations.

When we fail to put our confidence in Him, any other confidence is empty. Yesterday, we continued to talk about the idea of living wide awake. To live wide awake, for God, means that we also must put our confidence in Him, as He leads us through life. Here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

1. Appreciate the opportunities that come your way as ways to reflect Jesus to someone or some situation.
2. Tell someone how much you enjoy being a Christian
3. Reflect on the strengths you have and not the weaknesses
4. See that you are incompetent without Him - acknowledge and accept
5. Do not look at situations that come your way as obstacles in reflecting your faith, but as opportunities.
6. Pray for opportunities for those you teach and their parents, those you work with and their families, for your customers, for your neighbors, for your household (if someone in your household doesn't know Christ), for ____ (you add anyone else)
7. Look forward, with confidence from Him, to these opportunities to open up!

Waking up each day and looking forward to how God will use you is a little bit of what it means to live wide awake. If you are still going through your day, figuratively, under the covers, WAKE UP...get out of bed. There is whole world of opportunity out there waiting for you to be a "fragrance" of Christ to them!

If you're guilty of putting confidence in yourself, then you need to change it around. Change it so that you are appreciative of the talents you have, but understand that if something happened your confidence would not diminish because you already started putting your confidence in Him, not you.

I love the kind of mindset that looks for seeing how one can reflect Christ in everything they do and everywhere they go. I like to learn people's names, so that when I see them, then I can call them by name or ask, by name, how their day is going. This seems to be especially effective to those who have the "thankless" or menial jobs. Sometimes I will leave a note of appreciation for a maid in a hotel, that is one example of a thankless job.

Reflect Jesus with confidence!

Looking forward to the opportunities that will come my way...

"I am..." - Mark 8:27-29

Who was/is a childhood hero of yours? Someone in your class that you always looked up to? An older person that you always thought was "cool"? I bet they displayed a sense of confidence that caused your attention to gravitate toward them. Confidence is a necessary ingredient when it comes to a leader. God is a confident God. He doesn't shirk at anything. Nothing is too small for Him.

"I AM/am"...the essence of confidence. The short phrase causes me to marvel at my God. Who sends me..."I AM" does. Who heals me..."I AM". Who saves me..."I AM". What does that phrase mean to you? Yesterday, we began a study on John 11:25. First, we examined these first two words. In those two words is mind-blowing and body-numbing power. The kind of power that makes you sit up and take notice. The kind that gives you comfort in times of trial and giddyness in good times.

As you go about your week, here are some applications to choose from to put to use in your week...

1. Look at a sunset and just say a prayer of "Thanks" to God - whether it is that simple word or something more elaborate.
2. Reaffirm your faith by letting God you give Him your life - burdens and blessings.
3. Take pride in the fact that you get to walk daily with this awesome God who leads, comforts, and sustains you.
4. Tell someone how awesome your God is. Could be as a result of something positive that happened to you or how you are sustaining your faith despite a bad thing happening.
5. Be still. Let God speak to you.

Mary & Martha had lost a brother. Jesus comes in confident. Though their brother died, Jesus knew what He could do. He tells these young ladies, "Listen, your brother is going to be OK; for I am the resurrection and the life."

Jesus is the "I am" to whatever the situation is at hand. You're thirsty, Jesus is the water. You're hungry, Jesus is the bread. You're wandering, Jesus is the Shepherd. When you have a question as to who Jesus is...he says, "I am..." and you now feel comforted.

It is a mature concept to grasp. Only few will grasp it. I am always in kindergarten marveling at what is around corner. Have you grasped it yet? I hope you will get close one day.

Appreciating "I AM"...

Monday Mentionings: The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength - Nehemiah 8:9-12

God is Good....

Did you say or start to say "...All the time?" If you are at all familiar with that phrase, you are probably familiar with that response. No matter what goes on in our life our God is good! The joy that is found in our Lord is our strength. Maybe you've already needed that strength today (whenever you read this).

As we looked in Nehemiah 8:9-12 yesterday, we examined a phrase that we can use over and over in our lives today..."the joy of the Lord is your strength". There is so much gold found in that phrase! Not only is there gold in just "panning" the words to see what is found, but being able to recite that phrase and get comfort. I have said it over and over to myself last week and each time it seems to give me a jolt of comfort. I pray that you will find joy and strength in that phrase!!! See if you can use any of these additional applications this week...

1. "This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it" - Psalm 118:24. If you know the song, try singing or humming it to yourself. See if it doesn't give you a bit of joy to your day. If you know of someone who is going through a rough patch, maybe this might be a verse you could write on a card/note to encourage them.
2. LORD, YHWH/Yahweh, Jehovah - names of power, of mystery, and of royalty. Say those names...what emotions did you feel? Tell Him that He is LORD of your day...see how your day goes as you remember that phrase through the day.
3. Knowing that God is with you as you go through life is something to give you strength as you encounter difficulties. David went up against a giant. David was smaller and had less "man" power, but he had a lot of God-power! His confidence didn't come because of his size or his weapon, but because he put his confidence in God! As you go up against "giants" this week, remember to pray and put your confidence in Him. (Scriptures from the David and Goliath incident that I used are at bottom)

This is a busy month for us with Fall Festival and Dolan Lake. Also, there are some other opportunities for us to be involved in: Power of Praying Husband, Power of Praying Wife, and Men's Ping Pong League. If you're interested in any of these, contact the appropriate people to get involved!

The next couple of weeks we'll be taking a small break from Nehemiah - resuming it on the 30th of September. If you have any ideas that you would like to hear a series on, let me know.

Have a Jesus-filled week!!!

Because of Him ~

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SCRIPTURES:

1 Samuel 17:4-7
4 A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall. 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; 6 on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. 7 His spear shaft was like a weaver's rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him. (NIV)

Verses 38-40
38 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. 39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. "I cannot go in these," he said to Saul, "because I am not used to them." So he took them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. (NIV)

Verses 45-47
45 David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands." (NIV)