“And a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Eccl 4:12)
A study of the inter-relationship between God’s Word, the Leading of the Holy Spirit and Faith.
The words Faith and confidence are often used interchangeably, but they are two different words in the Bible. Confidence is natural; Faith is supernatural or spiritual.
Faith is spiritual.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” Hebrews 11:1.
Faith looks to Jesus and His Holy Spirit for empowerment or anointing.Faith – g4102. Pistis; persuasion, moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation.
Confidence is natural
Confidence is of the soul and looks to self for empowerment. Confidence – g3954. Parrēsia; all outspokenness, i.e., frankness, bluntness, publicity; Boldness.
When a person displays confidence as a result of Faith, you have a potential leader. When that leader understands that he or she is a spiritual leader and as a spiritual leader, that person has come to serve and not be served!
God is moved by Faith; people are moved by confidence.
A person may be a man or woman of Faith and still not be confident because they know the truth but are unwilling to act upon that truth. On the other hand, a person may be a man or woman of Faith and will boldly (confidently) be a doer of the Word. People will follow that kind of person, a person of Faith and confidence.
Mature Christians are called to walk confidently in their Faith. The natural confidence aligning with supernatural Faith. In other words, when Faith and confidence become one.
A good illustration of this progression in building confidence is found in 1 Samuel 17, the well-known account of David and Goliath. Young David did not just appear on the battlefield to confront Goliath the Philistine. There was a history of finding God faithful that ultimately led David to a very public victory. Before every public victory there must be a series of private victories.
- How was David, a simple shepherd boy, able to defeat the giant Goliath a warrior from his youth? It started with David’s personal relationship with God, “Then one of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him” (1 Samuel 16:18).
- Then followed the faith-building episodes of defeating the lion and the bear while protecting his father’s sheep (1 Samuel 17:34-37).
- Finally came the confidence to defeat the giant Goliath, who was a warrior from his youth. This total defeat of Goliath in turn, inspired the armies of Israel to defeat the Philistine army (1 Samuel 17:45-54). David did not waver or doubt; his confidence was in his God!
You see, David allowed God to prepare him in the private times for the great public battle with Goliath. David’s confidence started when he decided to pursue his relationship with God. Leaders don’t neglect your personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ; it is the cornerstone of your life and ministry.
“Therefore, do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise” (Heb 10:35,36).
Christian leaders have a great responsibility – they must effectively lead those whom the Lord has given them the responsibility to lead. In a very true sense, the destinies of those they are leading are in the hands of those leaders. Therefore, the leader’s responsibility should never be taken lightly.
As ministry leaders, we have a responsibility to those we lead. But we have an even greater responsibility to the One who has called us into the ministry. The One who has called us is God the Father!
Think of your responsibility in this way. The body of Christian believers is often referred to as the “Bride of Christ.” We are given the stewardship or responsibility to care for the “Bride of Christ.” How great a responsibility we have! Jesus will one day return for His Bride, the Church. Our hope is that in that day He will say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
How, then, shall we mature to become effective leaders to whom such a great trust is given? To be effective requires that we become confident in three areas, and in this order:
- (1) We must first have confidence in our relationship with God.
- (2) Then we must have confidence in our calling.
- (3) Finally, we must have confidence in our ministry.
It must also be understood that each one of these three areas is spiritual in nature. While we are clothed in a shell of flesh and blood, we must learn how to see, hear, and understand the spiritual realm in which God lives. For God is Spirit, and it is from His Spirit that His enabling power flows.
He Who Calls Us Is Faithful
There is a major difference between a spiritual leader, such as a pastor, and other types of leaders who are in business, education, or politics. The difference is the calling. The pastor’s calling is not of man, nor of personal ambition – it is of God. The ministry is not a profession or a job, but a calling.
But how can we best define a “calling”? The calling is an invitation from God, to an individual to co-labor with Him in the fulfillment of His purpose and plan. Along with this call comes enablement or equipping for the task. God never fails to equip those He calls. Paul the apostle tells us, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry” (1Tim 1:12).
The call from God is not based on our talents, abilities, or gifts. It is based on a potential that God sees in us called faithfulness. The particular faithfulness described here is not to a denomination, an organization, or an individual. It is faithfulness towards God and His call upon your life. We can be faithful because God is always faithful to us: “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it” (1Thess 5:24).
Our Source of Confidence (confidence is the outward appearance of Faith!)
Confidence is the key to effective ministry. Confidence comes from an understanding of one important thing: the heart of our heavenly Father. Knowing what is in the heart of the Father toward us is what gives our life meaning and purpose as Christians.
