Pastor John D Jakes

Confidence. It can come naturally. It can also come from training. What about those of us who are naturally charismatic or haven’t gone through extensive training? Can we have real confidence to face either struggles or the naysayers of life? What can give everyday Christians the confidence of the apostles?

Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. – Acts 4:13

There was something unusual about Peter and John. It wasn’t their charm or their specialized training. It was that they had been with Jesus. That is what the priests noticed. They appeared to be rough fishermen. They spoke with the authority of a priest or a prophet. Walking with Jesus made the difference!

How do we do this today? We walk with Jesus by beginning with trust. We use words like faith and believe in so many contexts that we can forget what they mean in Scripture. Faith and belief are foundational to walking with Jesus. Trust is foundational to faith and belief. We trust in Jesus’ character. We trust in Jesus’ promises. We trust that what Jesus did on the cross is completely effective to save us. We trust.

Once we trust Jesus, walking with Him is all about learning and leaning on what He has promised. This is the second part of trust.

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:16-17

The “Scripture” consists of the history of God with His people and His promises to us through Jesus. What power we discover when we learn and lean on it. This is where Christian confidence comes from. When we learn what promises we can count on, we marvel. Then, when we lean on those promises, we live in confidence. It is the confidence of knowing God’s character. It is the confidence of knowing God’s love. It is the confidence of knowing God’s promises.

May you live in this type of confidence – the confidence of walking with Jesus. Learn of Him and lean on Him. Then you can face the future and challenges of life with real confidence.

Something to think about,

Pastor John