Confidence

The man who has confidence in himself is able to gain the confidence of others.

Confidence is an interesting thing. False confidence can be a real turn-off that makes others move in another direction. On the other hand, real confidence that is based on preparation and experience is loved and appreciated by others.

Most people would say that future King David’s biggest battle in his younger years was fighting Goliath. I believe that his biggest battle actually occurred just before he stepped in the ring with Goliath. This was when he had to convince King Saul that he was up to the challenge to defeat the ginormous Philistine.

At the time David was too young and too small to even be part of the army. The Philistine’s had proposed this “representative fight” where their best man (Goliath) would fight Israel’s best man. The challenge went on for 40 days and nights with no takers on the Israelite side. The battle would be for all the marbles so King Saul’s head was literally on the line here. How would young David convince the King that he could win?

It cannot be overstated enough that David was prepared. He had faithfully served as a shepherd and had successfully defended his flock time and time again against predators with his sling shot. David looked at Goliath as just another threat that he could take down with his shooting skills. The many battles he had already fought prepared him for the big one against Goliath.

David’s preparation also readied him for the conversation with Saul. He had to have shown the utmost confidence in himself to gain Saul’s favor. False bravado wouldn’t do the trick here. Any fear or trepidation on his part would have ended the conversation. David’s confidence was based on a deep seated believe that God had him ready for battle. He wouldn’t have shown any fear at all.

It is reasonable that we can live a life without fear? Probably not. Even though we are told many time in scripture “do not fear,” it is still a natural human emotion that surfaces at times for each of us. To the extent that we have confidence that is built on preparation and experience, our struggle with fear subsides. Many of our greatest desires lie on the other side of fear.

1 Timothy 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control.

David was living a “Spirit-led” life. Fear was not his master. We have the opportunity to do the same by living a life led by the Spirit that is marked by power, love and self-control as we face our future with confidence.

Stay hungry,

Big E

Matt 5:6