Be confident.
Just like Jesus.
Greetings Prosperous Soul,
I used to think confidence was a sign of arrogance. After all, most confident people I had met were jerks and caused messes. But here’s something I discovered:
Confidence is different from arrogance.
Reading through the book of John, I realized Jesus was extremely confident. So much so that the cultural leaders hated him! They thought He was raising Himself higher than what was allowed, asking Him:
“Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?” - John 8:53 NIV
So was Jesus arrogant? He offended everyone, even His own disciples. He equated Himself equally with God, a crime punishable by death.
The signs of arrogance seemed to be there, but if we look at the private moments of His life (and the good fruit He brought), we see a different story:
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. - John 13:3-4 NIV
Arrogant leaders don’t humiliate themselves by washing their servants’ feet. They also don’t give themselves up to be tortured for the benefit of others.
The secret to confidence
Jesus was confident because He knew exactly:
Who He was.
Why He was on this earth.
Jesus said, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness… For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.” - John 12:45,47 NIV
Jesus had everything He needed to fuel His movement (identity + purpose). These two factors governed every decision He made, even down to the last moments of His life.
To fulfill the dreams God has given us, we need to be confident. And there’s no better Person to demonstrate this than Jesus.
God bless your Prosperous Soul,
Stephen K. De Silva
About: Stephen K. De Silva is an author, speaker, and financial mentor. From 1995 to 2017, he served as the CFO of Bethel Church, and a member of the senior leadership team. Stephen’s blend of experience, training, and anointing make him a pioneer in the subject of money. You can reach Stephen at hello@prosperoussoul.com