What does your One Word mean to you? Confidence
When I chose the word “confidence” as my motivation for 2017, I chose it out of dire need for deep confidence. I’m not just talking about surface confidence when a person looks good or is wearing the right outfit. I’m talking about the confidence that lets you speak to powerful people without fear, the confidence that pushes you to pursue your dreams with a deep intensity.
In order to truly understand this confidence, I started by turning to the dictionary. Oxford Dictionary defines confidence as a noun meaning The feeling or belief that one can have faith in or rely on someone or something; The state of feeling certain about the truth of something; A feeling of self-assurance arising from an appreciation of one’s own abilities or qualities.
These definitions are so simple and true to my goals. My confidence is to be reliable and to surround myself with people I can rely on, to be certain about my values and decisions, and most importantly to appreciate and acknowledge my abilities and qualities.
As a Christian, I also needed to know what God’s word says about confidence so I turned to my Bible concordance and looked up the word to see the many verses about being confident. To my surprise, the TNIV (Today’s New International Version) Concordance consists of 35 instances, 17 in the Old Testament and 18 in the New Testament. Of these 35 instances, there are 11 (2 Ch. 32:7-8, Job 4:6, Ps. 71:5, Pr. 31:11, Jer. 17:7, 2 Cor. 3:4, Eph. 3:12, Heb. 4:16, Heb 13:6, 1 John 5:14) that connect with the confidence I hope to attain through this year. I added two extra verses which do not explicitly use the word “confidence” but are meant to instil the same feeling and these verses are Philippians 4:6-7 & 13.
Corresponding Inspiration: Confidence in…
For each aspect of my life, I chose one verse:
- Christian Faith: Philippians 4:6-7 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
- Wife: Proverbs 31:11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value. - Mother and Daughter: Job 4:6 Should not your piety be your confidence
and your blameless ways your hope?
Philippians 4:13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. - Friend: Hebrews 13:6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
- Career: 2 Corinthians 3:4-6 Such confidence we have through Christ before God. 5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
- Personal: Psalm 71:5 For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord,
my confidence since my youth.
6 From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you. - Health: 1 John 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
- Financial: Hebrews 4:16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
There we have it; the definition and explanation of what confidence will mean to me and for me this year.
What is your one word for this year? What does that word mean to you and for you in 2017? Share your story and journey with me.
