"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." Luke 9:23
How often we hear the admonition, by motivational speakers, for us to believe in ourselves. On the surface, it appears harmless and reasonable, and infact, commendable, but does the bible teach us to believe in ourselves? If doesn't, what, then, is the danger of following the admonition to believe in ourselves?
First, let's make clear the teaching of the bible regarding this. In Luke 9:23, Jesus said that if anyone comes after Him, such a person should deny himself, take up his cross and follow Him. To believe in oneself is to commit your trust in yourself, but Jesus says that those who come to Him are to turn from self and trust in Him. There's nothing in self to build one's faith upon. Nowhere in the bible are we told to believe in ourselves, nor are we told to have confidence in ourselves. What we are told is to have faith in God, and to repose all confidence in Him. Victory over this world cannot be attained by trusting in ourselves, victory is possible only as we place our trust in Christ and what He did for us on the cross.
But it may be useful to take a closer look at what self is made of, and see the futility of trusting in self. First, there's nothing good in it (Romans 7:18). How can we entrust our lives to such a one in whom no good dwells? Whatever you put your trust in will determine the stability or otherwise of your life. The story of Peter is an apt example of the futility of self-confidence. When the Lord warned him of satan's plan to shift him as wheat, his response was an arrogant reliance on his own ability to stand the assault on his faith by the devil. We know what the end of that self-confidence landed him in: he denied his Master.
The doctrine of self-confidence is not inspired by the Holy Spirit, it is, to say the least, doctrine that has its origin in the flesh. Having said this, we must also say that those who are God-confident will know that they can do all things, but this is through Christ that strengthens them. So, have confidence in God, and not in self.
Toni
