Insights

Reverend Dr. William H. Curtis

Proverbs 3:26

For the LORD will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.

The great boxer, Mohammed Ali, was frequently interviewed by the media after his victorious matches. A favored public figure for his personality and confidence, he was repeatedly asked, “How do you win so often?” He would always answer with confidence: “I believe in myself!”

In this holiday season of being asked to believe—from believing in our ability to make it through work and the financial strain of the Christmas season, to children believing in Santa Claus, or believing that God is present in our lives—sometimes the last thing we believe in is ourselves.

Trusting ourselves is paramount to doing well in all other areas of our lives. Believing that we are making good decisions and following God’s plan for us is part of the key to confidence and self-assured behavior in the face of any challenges and any triumphs. The way we handle our families, our jobs, and our own personal disciplines has everything to do with how we see and trust ourselves.

There are many people who will try to undermine your confidence. At work, you may be criticized for minute details on a job otherwise well done. At church, you may be left out of gatherings by well-meaning people who don’t think to ask if you’re free, or worse, by people who may not know you at all and judge before they ask or engage. Whatever the blows to your confidence are, rest assured that in God, you are prepared to field them and move past them.

While we can allow ourselves that moment to reflect and to respond to what we’re experiencing—by getting upset or feeling bad—we need to pick ourselves up, evaluate the damage, determine the reason for it, and move on. If we can improve or make a situation right, we should. And if we have to look at the setback for what it really is—a minor learning opportunity or a moment of hurtful reflection from which we can recover—we should do that, too, and grow from what it taught us.

The danger in losing confidence is losing sight of what is important, be it your family, work, spirituality, or all three. Confidence helps to keep you from worrying yourself into inaction or questioning what you know is right. This season, trusting in your faith will keep you from stalling in doing God’s work in the community, the home, and the church. Understanding that He is always with us keeps us from stagnating in faith and drives us to what is important as members of a faith community during the holiday season.