Moving from Fear to Confidence

Have you ever seen a son or daughter run into the arms of their parent? They run, sometimes almost catapulting into their arms, because they are confident in the response they will be met with. The parent will pick them up every time they are able.

It changes how a child approaches their parent. They don’t approach strangers or even other familiar people the same way because a child knows who their parent is, what the relationship is, how the parent will respond, and that the love is there. It changes everything because the child is secure.

Whether we feel secure is something we love out of. It plays into how we see other people, ourselves, and even God. And what that looks like shapes everything.

When you know where you stand, you have confidence. When you have confidence, you find security.

The problem is that our natural inclination is to view our relationship with God mostly in terms of how it affects us.

Our search for security ends up being a destination rather than a foundation.

Are we secure?
There’s this idea in the American church that Jesus our personal savior, helping us personally. Similar to a therapist, stylist, or personal trainer. The historical church did not use this language. Subtly, our goal becomes getting and maintaining the relationship, rather than where that relationship takes us. But what if that personal relationship is a starting place that takes us somewhere, and not a destination?

The only way it does is if we’re secure.

1 John 5
11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

There’s the relationship, it’s how you know if you’re secure or not.

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. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

Televangelists use this verse to communicate their brand of Christianity and what benefits them. It turns God into a cosmic genie or vending machine in the sky.

But it’s not about that.

Have you ever traveled with someone who had platinum status with an airline? You end up in some fancy-named lounge prior to take off with more comfy accommodations than if your traveling partner didn’t rack up a certain amount of miles.

You have elite access to God because of His status and your relationship. Both need to exist for anything to happen.

When we have confidence in our relationship with God, we can address God and the relationship boldly. If you don’t have confidence in your relationship with God just yet, God hears and wants to answer the prayers of His children, according to His will.

What is God’s will?
Matthew 6
33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Follow God’s way of seeing, living, loving, and responding, especially to people. Then live it out. You will discover you have everything you need to do that. Insecurity always pulls us inward. We’ll only move outward when we know we’re secure.

We make approaching God and discerning His will about us and our needs or wants. John gives us a different application.

1 John 5
16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life.

What’s God really passionate about? Saving people, but also restoring them.

When you know where you stand, you have confidence.
When you have confidence, you find security.
But when you have security, you pray for different things than you did.

Security is not about your relationship or position anymore, it’s about where you go from there.

Confidence always leads us outward to other people.

1 John 5
18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. 19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

We don’t really think about idols in our modern age. An idol isn’t believing in no God, it’s about believing in the wrong god or in the wrong conception of God. God isn’t a genie in a bottle. Idols end up overwhelmingly being about our sense of security.

So, how do you know the right God? John says it. You stay close to Jesus.

Remind yourself of the relationship you have – who God is and the access you have as His child. Whatever is true, stay close to that, but then go stand in the gap for people. A confident church is an interceding church.

When you don’t feel secure, you ask for protection. But when you’re confident, you ask for opportunity.

You’re not coming to prayer just for you. You’re coming on behalf of others. When we pray, it should move outward, and those are the kinds of prayers God answers.