Where should our true source of confidence come from?
[Gary Petty] I once read about an organization known as the Dependent Order of Really Meek and Timid Souls. Now, if you look at the first letter in those words it comes out D-O-O-R-M-A-T-S. “Doormats”. And that was the name of the organization. Their motto was, “The meek shall inherit the earth, if it’s okay with everybody.” Now, there are people who have very low confidence in themselves. To accomplish anything in life, we have to have self-confidence. I mean, you have to have the confidence to get out and get in your car and go to work every day – that you can drive the car, that you can go to work. Self-confidence is very important. And there’s a big difference between self-confidence and arrogance. Those are two different things. But self-confidence isn’t enough in life. Let’s face it, there’s a lot of things in life that are bigger than you and me, that all the self-confidence in the world won’t deal with or won’t change.
Solomon wrote in the book of Proverbs, “In the fear of the Lord, there is a strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge” (Proverbs 14:26). When we properly fear God – we love Him, we know Him, we fear to go against Him, we fear to do evil – when we have that kind of relationship, we can have confidence. Confidence that He is with us. Confidence that He’s going to guide us, direct us, take us where we need to go. And that confidence, that goes way beyond self-confidence because it’s not on ourselves, but in the great almighty Creator of the universe.
That’ BT Daily. Join us next time.
Gary Petty is a 1978 graduate of Ambassador College with a BS in mass communications. He worked for six years in radio in Pennsylvania and Texas. He was ordained a minister in 1984 and has served congregations in Longview and Houston Texas; Rockford, Illinois; Janesville and Beloit, Wisconsin; and San Antonio, Austin and Waco, Texas. He presently pastors United Church of God congregations in Nashville, Murfreesboro and Jackson, Tennessee.
Gary says he's "excited to be a part of preaching the good news of God's Kingdom over the airwaves," and "trusts the material presented will make a helpful difference in people's lives, bringing them closer to a relationship with their heavenly Father."