Confidence is something that people (Christian or not) either seem to have a lot of, or a lack of. We can probably think of some people that are either overconfident or under-confident. Often times we stereotype people who are overconfident as being arrogant or conceited. And under-confident people as vulnerable and insecure. In this study we are going to focus on the overconfident side, and explain why being overconfident is a good thing, as long as you have confidence in the right things. So let us begin the study of confidence.

To have confidence in something means that you have full trust or belief in something. If you have confidence in yourself, then you believe in your abilities. But our confidence should not be in ourselves. Why? Because the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41 says, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  Therefore we should put our confidence in God. Those who walk in wisdom will be delivered (Proverbs 28:26). And from God comes all wisdom (Proverbs 2:6). Therefore we should put our confidence in God.

Let’s look at the Psalms for another example. Psalm 20:7 says, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” What David is pointing out here is that people put their confidence, or trust, in physical objects. Objects such as chariots, an object of war people put their trust in. Others in horses, or living things on this earth. But David puts his confidence in the Lord because he knows the Lord is the only one worth putting trust into.   

But why would David put his trust in the Lord? What makes the Lord so trustworthy? It’s because his promises are always true. Whatever the Lord says will be proven right. Psalm 18:30 claims, “God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.” Since God’s way is perfect, and his promises are always true, then we should have confidence in Him.

God promised us something that we can have confidence in. The promise that we should not fear anything, because He is with us. Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

God promised that He will help us and strengthen us. Just as the writer of Hebrews says, “So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?””- Hebrews 13:6. We can confidently say that the Lord is our help.

So as we can see, confidence is a good thing. Arrogance is not. To be arrogant of yourself, is to not be confident in the Lord. However, we need to be confident not in ourselves, but in the Lord, because the Lord is able to deliver us from any situation, and he is our help. Remember Matthew 26:41, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”