What does the Bible say about confidence?

"For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught." —Proverbs 3:26

Confidence is the assurance of trust in something, someone, or in certain circumstances. When we feel confident in a person, we rely on them to be trustworthy and to always follow through on their promises. When we feel confident in our environment, we're assured of our safety and feel protected. When we're confident in ourselves, we trust in our own ability to succeed or accomplish what's in front of us.

While there's nothing wrong with confidence, in and of itself, we want to be sure that we're only placing our confidence in that which is actually trustworthy. The Bible is a perfect measuring tool to know what's best to put our confidence in and what could lead us to harm if we rely on it too heavily (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

"The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." —Hebrews 4:12

Confidence in Acceptance by God

"We who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort." —Philippians 3:3 (NLT)

When it comes to confidence in our acceptance by God, there's nothing we can rely on more than the truth of God Himself. Philippians 3:3 refers to how the Jewish law of circumcision was required as a sign of their covenant with God. Paul says that circumcision isn't a bad thing, but it's no longer a requirement to show one's devotion to God.

Rather than relying on rituals to "prove" allegiance to God, followers of Christ should now be recognized by the fruit of the Holy Spirit in their lives (Galatians 5:22-23) and their trust in eternal salvation through Jesus alone (John 3:16-17; Ephesians 2:8-9). These are things that will never fail.

Confidence in Who God Made Us

"We are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." —Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

We can have confidence that God is working in us and through us all the time—even as we struggle and stumble (Romans 5:3-5). God understands that we can't achieve perfect obedience while we live this life (Romans 3:10), yet He promises to keep sanctifying us through Jesus. Our salvation is assured no matter what (Titus 3:5), and our spiritual growth is guaranteed if we continue to desire to follow Him (Romans 12:2; 1 John 2:3).

If we're struggling with confidence, we can remind ourselves that God designed us specifically and uniquely—with every personality trait, interest, and physical appearance (Psalm 139). We can be confident that God treasures us, loves us, and wants what's best for us (Philippians 1:6). This isn't prideful confidence, rather, it's confidence in God's good gifts for us.

"Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow." —James 1:17 (NLT)

Confidence that Damages

"It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people." —Psalm 118:8 (NLT)

When we put all our confidence in things that are subject to failure, then we're setting ourselves up for disappointment at best—and real disaster at worst. Humans can be unwise, evil, or deceptive. We can't always count on things like our finances, our status, our skills, our authorities, or our circumstances. None of those things are guaranteed to always work in our favor (Psalm 20:7; 56:11; 146:3).

In the Bible, we find the story of Samson, who arrogantly relied on himself more than God, trusting in his own foolish power rather than God's. His end was one of humiliation (Judges 16:20-25). Peter, one of Jesus' disciples, had prideful certainty that he'd never give in to fear (Matthew 26:30-35), yet his confidence crumbled in the face of social pressure (Matthew 26:69-75).

While it's OK to be confident in some things, we should do so with caution and even caveats to protect ourselves. Let's be wise about where we put our trust, reliance, and assuredness. If we are to put our full confidence in one place, let it be in God—His wisdom, His goodness, and the hope we have in His loving plan for us (Psalm 16).

"I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns." —Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

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