However, God did not intend for us to be governed by our emotions; rather, He gave them to us to enrich our lives. While negative emotions tear us down, positive emotions work to energize, strengthen, and enable us to do whatever God has called us to do. When thinking about the amazing impact of positive emotions, I am most drawn to the life-changing feeling of godly confidence, which empowers us to face life with a rock-solid faith in almighty God.
Confidence is a bold belief that drives out fear, doubt, and anxiety. Once the worry has been removed from our lives, what is left is an unshakable sense of assurance. It is this quality that enables us to weather the storms of life, because we know our firm foundation of Jesus Christ cannot and will not be shaken.
The apostle Paul is a wonderful example of someone who forged through life with an unwavering faith in God’s ability to overcome any obstacle. This was a man who underwent many, many trying times. He regularly faced imprisonment, persecution, endless travels, public debates, and personal insults. However, throughout it all, Paul held tightly to a lesson learned through faith and experience.
He explains in Philippians 4:11�?2, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.�?He continues in verse 13 with the cornerstone of his confidence, “I can do all things through Him (Christ) who strengthens me.�?/FONT>
What a bold statement! How is it that Paul—who, by the way, wrote the letter to the Philippians from a Roman prison cell—had the audacity to claim to have the ability to do “all things�?
Let’s begin by looking at what Paul is not saying. He does not say that he has the ability do absolutely anything he wants to do. Also, he does not say that God has given him full authority to decide what should and should not
be done.
Paul never separates what he can do from his relationship with God. Instead, he means, “I can do, and God will enable me to do. I can work, and God will enable me to work. I can speak, and God will enable me to speak.�?Whatever God led him to do, Paul knew that God would also empower him to do it. So, Paul would never say, “I can handle whatever comes up.�?Instead, he says, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.�?And God intends for every one of His children to approach life with this same confidence.
David also had this confidence. Many centuries before Paul wrote of his faith, young David boldly walked into battle, heading toward a fearsome giant who was intent on destruction. Did David give in to fear? Did he hide behind other soldiers or large shields? No. Instead, he armed himself with only a sling and a few smooth stones. Standing before Israel’s most feared enemy, he proclaimed, “The battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands�?(1 Samuel 17:47). And the boy hero triumphed that day. Clearly David would agree with Paul, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.�?/FONT>
As you read this statement of confidence, where do you place the emphasis—on the word “Him,�?meaning Christ Jesus, or on the word "me"? We hear a great deal from secular psychologists and self-help books about the vast benefits of improving one’s self-confidence. That is not what Paul is talking about here. The very term “self-confidence�?takes the focus away from God and places it firmly upon ourselves—what we can do, what we can earn, and what we can achieve.
Paul takes a different view. In Philippians 3:1�?, he explains how important and influential his own life may appear and how his accomplishments may impress others. However, he refuses to put his “confidence in the flesh,�?proclaiming instead, “Whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ�?(Philippians 3:3, 7). Having lived a respectable, honorable life by human standards, Paul realized that the only genuine source of confidence was not himself but God alone.
The proper basis for our godly confidence, then, is not what we can do but what Jesus Christ can do in and through us. The Christ who lives within us is the One who will enable, strengthen, and guide us, and who will make it possible for us to achieve anything that the Father sets before us.
Therefore, we have a right to be confident. And yet, many of God’s people wake up every morning in bondage. Many people toss and turn all night, trapped in fear, doubt, and uncertainty. They worry about decisions they have made or will make; they worry about things that may happen; they may even worry about whether or not God actually loves them.
Why would you want to wake up like this? These are all the harassments of Satan. God wants His children to wake up bright, full of life, and ready to face the day with boldness and confidence. He wants us to wake up every morning and say, “I can do every single thing I need to do today—as long as it’s in the will of God—through the strength of Jesus Christ within me.�?/FONT>
It does not matter if you wake up to intimidating circumstances. You may have a difficult job, or you may be in the midst of a painful personal or family crisis. You can still face these things in the confidence of the Lord. After all, Paul does not say, “I can do all things when the circumstances are right.�?He simply says that he can do all things because Jesus gives him the strength to face whatever comes up. That promise holds true today, as well.
Let me give you four specific reasons for our bold confidence in the Lord. First, we have the assurance of the presence of the Lord. Philippians 4:5 says simply, "The Lord is near." Hebrews 13:5 promises, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.�?All of Scripture testifies to the enduring personal relationship God desires with each of us. Truly, He is our "very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1).
Second, we can have confidence because of the peace of God. Paul testifies to this in Philippians 4:7 , "And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.�?This is a peace based on the fact that Jesus dwells within every single believer for life.
Third, our confidence is assured because of the provision of God. Philippians 4:19 demonstrates this, “My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.�?Clearly, our needs are important to God, and He knows exactly how to meet every need, every time.
Fourth, our confidence is strengthened by the power of God. This is seen clearest in our focal passage, Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.�?Paul leaves no room for doubt here; he emphatically believes that Jesus can and will empower him to achieve anything that God sets before him.
In light of all this, why is it that we so often lose our confidence? I can think of at least two reasons. One is that we listen to well-meaning friends who give horrible advice and express negative attitudes. Though we love them dearly, our friends are human just as we are, and they may give unwise counsel based on the difficulties in their own lives.
Another reason we lose our confidence is the burden of guilt from sin. When we are caught up in guilt over our sin, we begin to feel utterly helpless and unworthy to receive God’s blessing of strength. Sometimes, this guilt is genuine, the result of unconfessed sin. Quite often, though, it is false guilt, a lingering sense of worthlessness that Satan throws in our faces, even though we have settled that matter with God. We must remember that through the blood of Christ, our sin has been set aside; we can boldly approach the throne of God with the assurance that He loves us and desires to empower us for life’s challenges.
These two things—unwise counsel and guilt from sin—are twin thieves used by Satan to rob us of the confidence we can rightly claim in the Lord. In Him, we have the privilege to face every single hardship, challenge, obstacle, and adversity with the same boldness expressed by Paul.
Do you know Jesus as Lord and Savior? If so, then do not be afraid to tap into the limitless wealth of power available to you through Christ. You, like Paul, have every right to proclaim, “I can do all things—every single thing that God wants me to do, no matter how intimidating—through Jesus Christ who lives within me.�?This confidence is God’s gift to you, His child. Why would you ever want to refuse such a powerful offer? Claim His name today, and walk boldly into life renewed, revitalized, and divinely empowered.
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