8-17-20 Lord, Give Me Confidence to Know the Difference

Hi Friends,

     We must speak truth in love to others because those are the words that will set them free from potential sorrow down the line. We also must speak words of Life to ourselves because that is what will help us live with contentment. Aligning all our words to God’s Word is the key. Listen to this powerful verse:

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Php 4:13 NKJV

     “I can’t.” Here’s one of those phrases that we always have to keep in balance. If we sense we might cause trouble by saying what’s on our minds, then “I can’t” must be what we say to ourselves so that we stop ourselves from walking down a path we will regret. But if we sense that God is calling us to speak daring words that might bring us out of our comfort zone, then “I can’t” will be the lie that stops us from being obedient to God. God is not honored when we do not trust Him to supply our needs as we step out in reverence. Others are not helped when we do not step out in Faith. And we lack the sense of fulfillment when we do not step out in confidence. Everyone loses.

     “I can.” Here’s another phrase that we must use holy discernment to speak to ourselves. If we are being prideful or selfish, then we must refuse to tell ourselves “I can.” But if we are being humble and following Christ, then “I can do all things IN Christ Who strengthens me,” is one of the most powerful verses we can speak into our lives. God is honored as we step out in obedience, trusting Him to lead the way. Others are helped when we step out in Faith, trusting God to give us the right words and heart to speak them. And we have a satisfying sense of fulfillment when we step out in confidence, trusting that God will bless our faithfulness. Everyone wins.

     “I can’t or I can.” The balance between these two is humility. We can’t just do whatever we want. We can’t just speak careless words that might leave a lasting wound. We can’t just say whatever comes into our minds without discerning where it came from. That’s not who we are in Christ anymore. If you don’t remember anything else about the words we speak to ourselves then please never forget this: not every thought that enters our minds is ours. With the aid of Christ, we can tell the difference between seemingly harmless words and words that will cause more damage than we can foresee. With the counsel of the Holy Spirit, we can use our words to uplift, to heal, to reconcile, to build up, to encourage. With the grace of God, we can control ourselves and love Him with all we’ve got as we love our neighbor and love ourselves speaking only words that bless. The words we say to ourselves are important. The words we say to ourselves have power. The words we say to ourselves can make the difference between a peaceful life or a stressful existence.

     “I cant or I can.” Lord, give me confidence to know the difference. Too many Christians fall for the lies that they can’t discern, they can’t step out in Faith or they can’t have confidence to obey. But again I say, these are lies. How do I know? Because I have made Philippians 4:13 one of my anchor verses. What does it say? How many things can we do in Christ Who strengthens us? ALL things. This includes discerning, stepping out in Faith and having the confidence to obey God, trusting Him with the results. If God is calling us to speak, then we CAN speak with confidence. But, my Friends, there is a huge difference between confidence and arrogance. Again this is where humility is key. To know the difference between what we can’t do and what we can do requires the meekness to know we need Christ to show us the way. What we can’t do is live this life in our own strength anymore, saying whatever pops into our minds. What we can do is learn to recognize His words and repeat these words of Life to ourselves and others. The more I do this, the more my life becomes filled to the overflow with peace and joy. I know you want that too, so won’t you join me?

Until we meet again, keep lifting your eyes to God, He’s closer than you think.

<>< Peace, Diane