Recount God’s Hand on Your Life to Build Confidence in Your Faith
Faith Legwork
Have you ever spent time around a baby who is on the cusp of walking, but not quite there yet? She crawls to the coffee table and pulls herself up onto her chunky, wobbly legs and uses her hands to keep her steady as she scooches around the table. The items on the top of the table were completely out of her reach last week, and now her sticky hands are reaching for remotes, spare pacifiers, loose change, you name it.
This skill of pulling herself up has revealed a new world to this tiny tot. Not only is she getting stronger physically, but she is also learning how to work hard to get to where she wants to go. Each time she squats down and bounces back up, she is gaining strength to stand, walk, and eventually run far sooner than her mama is ready.
The beauty in this illustration is that we have all had to do the legwork (pun totally intended) to build a strong foundation to stand, walk, and run. We didn’t give up when we busted our booty on the floor, no ma’am. We gathered up our strength, willed our legs to do what they were created to do, and we stood up and learned how to walk step by step.
This continuous focus and determination taught us as little ones that we can do hard things. The process may not be pretty, and we will probably come out on the other side with some bumps and bruises, but we gained a perspective we didn’t have before. Just like the baby scooching around the coffee table, new things are in our view, our reach, our grasp.
Throughout the Bible we get a behind-the-scenes look at many heroes who started out as regular, ordinary people who were willing to be used by God. Most of the time they were underestimated and overlooked for important work. It was God who would bring them out of obscurity and orchestrate their work to benefit His people and glorify His name.
We see through their stories that overcoming an obstacle always comes with a lesson. If we are diligent in seeking that lesson out, it will make deposits into our confidence in the Lord that will reap dividends for the rest of our lives.
God uses the Willing
May God…equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom by glory for ever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:21
Have you heard the saying “God doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called”? I love this sentiment.
To me, it means that if I am willing, God will use me. I don’t have to be a theologian, saint, or angel to make a difference. You and I can simply hold up our lives to the Lord in surrender and simply ask Him to use us.
We all know the story of David standing up to the giant in 1 Samuel. A wee little nobody hurls a rock at a giant and becomes the hero of his people. This is a great story of bravery and faith that God can use anyone in any place to fulfill his purpose.
Where did this bravery and faith come from? David was a run of the mill shepherd. He was so unremarkable that when the prophet Samuel made a stop at David’s father’s house to find the new king, David’s dad didn’t even bring him in from the field. He proudly showcased his other sons and left David out of the lineup completely.
As I studied David’s story, I could see where David got his confidence. He had to rely on God to save him from certain death more than once. He says “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of the Philistine (1 Samuel 17:33). Bear? Lion? Oh ya, being a shepherd isn’t for wimps.
It was his job to protect the sheep at any cost. When a predator came and threatened the life of any of his sheep, David would have to protect and save the sheep using any means necessary.
Fast forward to the giant talking trash to King Saul and here comes the shepherd David bringing lunch to his brothers. You read that right, David wasn’t even a soldier. David was simply bringing food to his brothers who were fighting and witnessed the fear the giant was invoking into King Saul and the Israelites.
At this point, David had fought off bears and lions and was not going to let his king or his people go down like this. He gets his equipment ready and takes down the giant.
Recount the Wins
I lift up my eyes to the hills-where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2
When you lie down at night and the noise of the day fades away, are you ever left with thoughts of reflection like “Why did I say that?” “Why did I act that way?” “They probably think I am nuts.”
I have these thoughts all of the time and my brain gives me the extra blessings of bringing up dumb things I did all throughout my life perfectly displaying them in my sleepy brain for me to reexamine and judge. This is not fun and I am on a mission to make it stop.
To help redirect my thinking, I borrow some of David’s confidence in the Lord. My tactic in creating a more positive environment in my brain is to flip the script and recount my wins. For example, at night before I go to sleep, I review my day and thank God for the blessings, give him the glory for progress and growth, and take time to appreciate when I showed up in a way that I am proud of.
It may look something like this:
Lord, thank you for getting us all through the day in one piece. We had a warm house and good food to share, thanks to your provision. Thank you for the nap that the girls took, I really needed the break. Today tested my patience, Lord, but Your mercies carried me through.
How I acknowledge when I showed up the way I intended:
Even though I had a million things to do, I slowed down and colored with the girls when they asked. I hate telling them no all the time when they ask me to join them. This time was fun and a blessing to my heart. I want more of this and will be more intentional in the future to savor this time with my little ladies.
This is easy to apply to your life too. As you think on David’s story and how attacks from bears and lions prepared him for the giant, take time to think of the bears and lions in your life. How has God already brought you through something you didn’t think you could survive? List the ways God has shown up for you in supernatural ways.
Keep this list handy and refer back to it whenever life feels overwhelming, scary, and lonely.
Our God loves you for the long-haul and will continue to guide you through your life. Where does your help come from? Your help comes from the Lord.