Have you ever been asked to do something that you just have no confidence to do? I’m generally a confident person – at least that’s the image of me that people perceive. I had this job selling computer software. the product was brilliant – I wanted to buy it and was sure a lot of people would want to buy it too! My manager explained that to meet the sales targets I would have to manipulate clients into making a sale. This method of sales compromised my faith and I lost my confidence to sell the product. When I made phone calls I did it half-heartedly. I could not do it and I VERY quickly lost confidence in the company – I was now not confident. Needless to say I quit after one week!!
If we are do anything well, and with Godly integrity, we need to be confident that we (a) believe the bible and (b) are confident in God.
As Christians we are called to ‘make disciples’ who will walk in Christ’s footsteps. This also takes confidence – we need to be confident in God . We need the assurance that He is all he says he is, and will do all he has promised to do. This is one reason the young people are going to study what the bible says about who god is (and isn’t). Are we confident in God? Is our faith set on Him? Is our walk with God relational – does God inspire us towards a fruitful happy missional (living as a missionary to the world around you) Christian life?
We are also called to ‘preach the good news’ to all people everywhere (and as St Francis of Assisi says, “use words if necessary”). Are we confident that the Bible is God’s word for all people everywhere? Are we able to share our faith with conviction and passion, knowing with confidence that God will never let us down? Our lives are meant to follow Jesus’ example of reaching the lost around us – as we live incarnationally in the world we show people the reality of Christ! And that’s a reality the world needs to see!
A lack of confidence in God and in his divine word will undermine our faith and our message. May we be confident in God, who never fails us, and in His word that reveals God to us. May the Spirit of God reveal God’s truths to our heart and soul so that we can confidently say with St Paul:
I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.
May we, young and old, confidently affirm at the beginning of this year our unwavering faith in God, and in his word.
Stuart Writing 