Wednesday Wisdom Tip: Confidence & Uncertainty Can Go Hand-in-Hand

I know it sounds bad; but it’s not.

To be needy.

Let me introduce you to a girl in the Bible who was definitely needy…and amazing too!

Her name is Mary. Picture her with me.

There she is; minding her own business. Since girls got married early in life, even though she was in what we would consider middle school, she is engaged (and most likely thrilled about it!) Then, her life is interrupted. An angel comes to her saying:

“Good morning!
You’re beautiful with God’s beauty,
Beautiful inside and out!
God be with you.” Luke 1:28 (The Message)

She, of course, was freaking out (or as the Bible says, ‘thoroughly shaken”) wondering what is going on. But the angel assures her, “You have nothing to fear. (Of course not, there is just an angel in my room!) God has a surprise for you. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus.

I’m not so sure that from the first word of it, Mary would have been that excited! “Pregnant? I’m not married?” Finding out you’re pregnant would make a single, teen girl feel very needy.

The angel goes on to tell her “This isn’t just any old baby; this is God’s son.”

Still, pregnant?

Does Mary freak out when she gets this news? Say, “This will be the end of me! What will my whole town (or school) say about me?” Did Mary, knowing she was going to be the object of gossip ditch her confidence?

No. She allowed her neediness to draw her closer to God.

Here is her confident response:

 “Yes, I see it all now: I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say.” Luke 1:3

Mary could respond in confidence because Mary’s confidence wasn’t built on someone. For all she knew, Joseph was going to leave her when he heard her crazy story. She built her confidence on Perfect God and what He was doing in and through her.

Her confidence wasn’t based on something: her image, her reputation, her like-ability, her perfection. Mary had already built her confidence on perfect God. Her confidence was not based on who she was, but on who He was.

She didn’t base it on something – like her image. As a mom, at times I have based my confidence on my kids and how well they did. If Mary had been based her confidence on her image like I have, her confidence would have been ditched because her reputation was ruined! Her confidence wasn’t in the fact that she was untarnished, but on untarnished God.

Mary didn’t base on her confidence on someplace. In fact, the first thing she did after hearing the angel’s news was leave home. She went to visit her cousin Elizabeth.

Mary tells Elizabeth when she arrives: “I’m bursting with God-news; I’m dancing the song of my Savior God. God took one good look at me, and look what happened – I’m the most fortunate woman on earth! What God has done for me will never be forgotten, the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others…” Luke 1:46 – The Message

Can you hear Mary knew her Untarnished God was behind everything that was happening in her life? As a teen, Mary knew her value was not in who she was at school, how she performed on the team or what her SAT score was (or the equivalent in her town). Instead of letting her needy heart call the shots, Mary embraced what God was doing and she honored Him with what she did next.

Did she get it? Probably not.

Did she resent it? No.

Would others think she was weird, had blown it? There is no doubt that they would, but Mary did not allow what others thought of her to hold her back from embracing this thing God was doing; even if she didn’t understand it.

Like Mary, each of us should build our confidence on God because He and His reputation is perfect even when we aren’t.

Today, pay attention to your heart. Do you find your emotion well-being tied to someone, something or someplace? Ask the Holy Spirit to make you aware of who and what your confidence is rooted in. Ask Him to help you to base your confidence in Him.

 

The winner of Magnetic: Becoming the Girl He Wants and the Magnetic bracelet is  Emily who posted at December 15, 2014 at 10:41 am . I will contact you with the email you used for your comment, Emily. Congratulations!

 

 

Lynn