MoonglotexasI am so excited to have Lynn Cowell, author of the new Bible study Make Your Move: Finding
Unshakable Confidence Despite Your Fears and Failures, guest blogging today!
When My Mind Says “You Failed”
Fail. It’s a word I’ve heard my kids use when
something goes wrong. Just plain “fail.”
It’s a word I know as well. Failure is what I felt when I’d done all I knew to do to make a large project successful. Yet, according to my measurement, I had fallen very short. All I could think was, You failed.
I found my mind swirling, trying to process what happened. Confused, I wondered, God, why didn’t You help me? The project was for Him, after all. You would think He would have stepped up and helped me, at least in the way I was looking for help.
What did I do wrong?
Maybe I’m just not cut out for this?
My confidence was gone.
Can you recall a time when you thought you were doing what God wanted you to do, yet it didn’t turn out how you anticipated? Was your confidence shaken, not just in yourself, but in God?
Friend, you are not alone. It’s so easy to lose our confidence when things aren’t going well.
When David wrote the words found in Psalm 57:7, “My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises” – words filled with faith and hope – he was hiding in a cave. Not alone, but with 400 guys who were also running from trouble, in debt or just plain discontented with life as they knew it.
Here, in this awful situation, David reaffirmed his security hadn’t changed even if his circumstances did. His confidence was still built on God.
According to my study Bible, the word “confident” in the original Hebrew means: “set in place, make secure, to be made ready, be attached.”
I love this last definition: “be attached.” My mind pictures a new bride, attached to someone who cares deeply about her, with her face glowing. Her relationship brings her confidence.
David’s relationship brought him confidence as well. Despite his horrific circumstances, David experienced security and contentment because he knew God was with him even in those circumstances.
God can make us brave whether our lives are coming together or falling apart. We can have a heart and mind that is set in place, secure and attached, even when our circumstances seem to say, “You failed.”
I want to be like David. Confidence attached to God. Unshaken by any situation or circumstances. Unable to hold back His praises.
Has there been a time when circumstances were less than perfect and your confidence was shaken? In Make Your Move, Lynn Cowell explores how confidence-in-question keeps us from boldly experiencing what God intends for our lives. Learn more about her new Bible study here: http://lynncowell.com/make-your-move/.
A little more about Lynn:
Lynn Cowell is a national conference speaker who is passionate about helping women of all ages understand the importance of Christ confidence. She is the author of several books including her newest study for women, Make Your Move: Finding Unshakable Confidence Despite Your Fears and Failures, and Brave Beauty: Finding the Fearless You , just for girls ages 8 – 12. Lynn and her husband, Greg, have been married for over 30 years and are the parents of three young adults. They enjoy spending time together, especially when it combines the mountains, well-worn sweatshirts, and anything with chocolate and peanut butter. Connect with Lynn today at www.LynnCowell.com.
It’s understandable to feel unconfident at times. There are so many unknowns in life and things change, sometimes in the blink of an eye. I often think that if God (in whatever form he might be in) were able to take away sickness or secure our future he would have already. It may be that he set the wheels in motion and now it is up to us to make our way through, as unsteady as it may be at times. That is why we as humans have each other to lean on and support one another.
The double-edge sword we live with is that as intelligent and conscious beings we have the ability not only to worry about the future but to plan and to change plans as the need arises. There is always another chance. Sometimes you might need to rest before regrouping and ask for help when you need to in order to reach a goal. There’s no shame in that.