Can confidence be overdone?

Published: Mon, 07/30/12

 

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Can confidence be overdone?

We will explore this in some detail later, but truth is often a magical midpoint between two extremes. I had one pastor, Dr. Frank Zamora, that used to say it this way, “It is not thesis, or antithesis, but syntheses.” In this case we might ask a question that goes like this:

Is it healthy and good that I would get up every morning and look myself in the eye and say, “I am God’s masterpiece. I am God’s workmanship. I am the expressive work of God’s creative hand. I am really special. I am really something.” Can I take this too far?

In my opinion, you can, and that is the balancing truth. We are to be confident, but not confident in a way that makes us think too highly of ourselves. Rather we want a confidence that gives us the freedom to forget out about ourselves.

If I am wearing some high-water pants, I may lose confidence and be self-absorbed as a result. The goal is not for me to get clothing that makes me think, “Look at me!” but to get clothing that makes me comfortable enough so that I can forget about it. So it is with confidence. We want enough to give us the freedom to think of God and others, but not so much that we focus on what an incredible masterpiece of God we are.

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