Confidence
Ready:
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit."
-Jeremiah 17:7-8
Set:
I recall one of the worst wreslting matches of my career. During the match, I got absolutely mauled by my opponent--absolutely torn up. Later, I learned that he barely had any more experience than I did. What had made the most difference in his overwhelming victory was the fact that I had been almost sick with nervousness before the match. When it came time to wrestle, I was timid, weak and scared of the guy.
In sports, everyone searches for confidence. People may find their confidence in their technique, strength, athleticism or preparation. Wherever they find it, athletes often need a feeling of confidence to prepare them for competition; and often, confidence can make all the difference in a game.
It's a lot like this in other areas of life, too. We all need confidence, but many times we try to find it in the wrong places. We find confidence in popularity, physical strength, knowledge, possessions, skills, and plenty of other things; but all of these will let us down at some point, and none of them can help much during bad times. What can help is God. Jeremiah says that those who find confidence in God are like trees by a river. When heat and drought come, their leaves will still be green, and they can continue producing fruit. This means that we too can be blessed if we take refuge in Him. God promises that those who place their trust and confidence in Him will find an unfailing source of life and will be peaceful and fruitful during any situation.
Go:
1. Where do you place your confidence in athletics? Your strength? Technique? Natural talent?
2. Where do you get your confidence in life?
3. How can you place more trust in God?
Workout:
Psalm 71:5-7
2 Corinthians 3:4-5
Hebrews 3:14-15
