“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.”
Jeremiah‬ ‭17:7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Is it just me or does it seem like the most brutal questions you’ll ask yourself start popping up about 0.5 seconds before you fall asleep?

As someone who has struggled with confidence and has confronted serious moments of self-doubt, I’m bombarded with the brutal questions fairly often. “Am I good enough? How could I mess that situation up today? How can they really love me? What if this life just goes away?” The two verses immediately before the verse above in Jeremiah mention what we sign up for when we rely too much on ourselves and put all of our trust there. 

“This is what the Lord says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land.”
Jeremiah‬ ‭17:5-6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

A few nights ago, I was drifting to sleep and the word “confidence” popped into my head. So, I started praying to God about confidence before the questions could start showing up. Following that up with a swift Google search for scriptures on confidence, I found myself studying these verses as God started speaking to me.

He showed me that if our confidence is misplaced, our potential is stunted. And worse than that, when we put our trust in the wrong thing, we set ourselves up to live in a place of death. You see, confidence issues don’t always present themselves the way you expect them to. They can manifest in your thinking too little of yourself or even thinking too much of yourself. 

Whether it’s self-loathing or self-importance, self-degradation or self-inflation, it’s all self, really. If you don’t think you’re good enough or you think you’re too good for something, it’s all based on what you think. It’s putting your word over the Lord’s. 

Can I share one of the most freeing truths in the world if we could just grasp it? What we think about ourselves pales not only in comparison but also in importance to what God thinks and says about us! 

What God showed me is actually what confidence is centered around. Look at the word:  C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-C-E.

The middle two letters are ID: your identity. It’s not our confidence that the enemy calls in to question, but our identity. If we base our identity on our own definitions of success or happiness, it can destroy us. And it’s not just based on who we are, but also in what we do. I’m a drummer. If I base my identity and therefore confidence in my ability as a drummer, what happens when someone better comes along? That one stings because I’ve lived it. I’ve put all of my eggs into a basket that just got tipped over. Or, what if someone is a better speaker than you? Or what if someone has this seemingly natural gift to attract friends? Or what if you’ve been serving your heart out for years on the same serve team or at work and someone comes in for what feels like 3 weeks and is thrusted into leadership?

An identity and confidence based on ourselves lashes out or shuts down. But, an identity and confidence in Christ wants to see glory go to God, not to self. A confident heart rooted in a firm foundation of identity in Christ will see people who could replace them as a reason to party, not panic. This truth can change how we serve one another. Basing our identity in how we see ourselves and what we do can crush us when we fail. God won’t fail. When we base our confidence and identity on God and His word, we will be blessed. 

We will thrive. 

“They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.”
Jeremiah‬ ‭17:8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The moment I sat down, I knew it was a mistake. When they buckled me in, my fears confirmed it! Then I looked at the smiling faces of my son and daughter next to me and knew I could do it. Do what? As the rollercoaster ride began, my heart dropped as I thought about all the things that could go wrong. All the “what ifs” overwhelmed me. What if the seatbelt unlocks and I fall out? Or the track comes apart and we crash? Or a bomb explodes? Obviously, none of it happened. In spite of the twists and turns, ups and down, and screaming (lots of screaming), we stayed on track, finished the ride, and had a blast. 

What unknowns are you facing today? Is it something to do with your health, finances, school or family? Is it the aftermath of a death, a divorce, or a broken heart that just won’t heal? Maybe you just got married or started a new job. Stepping into the unknown is scary, unsettling, and intimidating. It stirs up all kinds of insecurities and inabilities because the unknown is so…well…uncertain, unfamiliar, uncontrollable, unexpected, and uncomfortable. 

The unknown will isolate, manipulate, & dominate your mindset if you let it. It will paralyze you and feed your fears. I’ve learned that the unknown amplifies the why’s, how’s, when’s, and where’s. 

But, the key to conquering our unknowns? It’s in the Who. 

Overcoming the unknown and thriving in your current season is possible when you place your hope in the One who knows all things and can make all things work out. (Romans 8:28) Our trust is not in how it will work out, but in Who has worked it out. 

And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Matthew 14: 25-31

Here we see the disciples in the middle of a storm, weary, scared, and overwhelmed, and they think they see Jesus walking on the water towards them. Peter says, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water. [Jesus] said, Come. So, Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.” He trusted who more than what. Because Jesus said “Come,” Peter stepped out of the boat, past his unknown, and into the certainty and sovereignty of Jesus. 

Jesus comes to them in their storm. He calms their hearts before He calms their storm. Conquering our unknown comes in capturing the heartbeat of Jesus and trusting him with each step we take. It was walking on the Word from God that made walking on the water even possible. 

Simply put, we must trust the Father and obey what we know. So, what do we know? We know that God tells us to pray, worship, learn, serve, give, forgive, encourage, and love others. God sees the bigger picture, and like Jesus did, He invites us to trust him through the storm. The Bible is full of people who conquered their unknowns by trusting Who and obeying what they know to be true. 

• King Jehoshaphat prayed, “We don’t know what to do but our eyes are on you [Lord],” 2 Chronicles 20:2,12.

• As a teenager exiled and put to work for the king, Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the king’s food and to remain faithful to God’s ways, especially with prayer, Daniel 1:8; 6:13,21.

• Abraham demonstrated unwavering faith when God told him to leave his homeland (not knowing where to go) and that he would be the father of many nations at the age of 100, Romans 4:20. 

• Ruth faced her unknown with a dangerous step of faith in following Naomi back to Jerusalem, Ruth 1:16. 

We could talk about Esther, Joseph and Mary, and Paul, with all their hardships. To add to that, history is replete with more examples of men and women who conquered their unknowns; George Washington Carver, Abraham Lincoln, Amelia Earnhardt, Desmond Doss, Anne Frank, and Dr. Mae Jemison. 

As we each walk into our own unknown, here are some other things that we do know: 

• I will never leave you nor forsake you, Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5. 

• Come to me all who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest, Matthew 11:28. 

• And his peace will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, Philippians 4:7. 

• Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it, Philippians 1:6. 

• Do not be weary in doing good, for in due season you will reap a harvest, if you do not give up, Galatians 6:9.

What unknowns are you facing? You can capture the heartbeat of Jesus by trusting and obeying God even in your season of unknown. Your victory is on the other side of your obedience. You’ve come so far, and God has never lost a battle. You don’t have to worry about the unknown when you have a relationship with the One who knows it all. Stop trying to control everything and take the next step with God. Can you hear it? Jesus is calling to you, “Come,” just as you are. 

Recommended listening: As You Are, Life Church