Sunday, November 1, 2009

Balancing Confidence and Humility

If we struck a balance between a Godly confidence and a Godly Humility…learned to walk in both, it would be an absolutely powerful Jesus type of spirit! Confidence and humility are not opposites or contradictory, but rather hand in hand and a powerful combination for a high impact Christian!


Here are some more of my thoughts from this morning's message:


There is a difference between confidence and arrogance. And there is also a difference between being humble and being pitiful. Confidence and Humility…I have long desired to figure out the balance between these 2 things as a Christian:


In Psalm 51, David gives us a great example of the dance between confidence and humility. Click here to read the whole Psalm.


Basically, David writes this Psalm after committing adultery with Bathsheba. Kinda goes like this:


Humility: God, I messed up please forgive me. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit in me.


Confidence: I will teach people, they will respond, we will do this, we can do that…


Humility: But the only sacrifice that you desire is a broken and contrite heart.


Confidence: Make Zion prosper, rebuild the walls of Jerusalem...


My short version of the whole Psalm: I am not going to walk around BEATEN UP because I SCREWED UP, but I am going to MOVE UP to the place that you have for me…with a broken and contrite heart!


And then there is this key verse:


Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”


Confidence, when properly placed (through Christ) can really lead to incredible humility. Leonard Sweet calls this a Jesus Spirit….the bringing together of these 2 powerful dynamics! It is an emptying AND filling!!!


Remember, humility is NOT putting yourself down. And humility is NOT denying your strengths. It is honestly accepting your weaknesses. You strengths are gifts from the Lord, and to reject the gift is to reject the giver.


The key to a big head is a big heart. The solution to a big head is a Jesus Spirit!

1 comment:

Generous Apologist said...

Gal 6:1-5 has something to say on this subject:

"1Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, 5for each one should carry his own load." (Gal 6:1-5 NIV)

Interesting that self-pride is NOT a negative in this case.