Here is a golden thought - it is possible to succeed and thrive in the middle of failure.  

Confident people have become a rarity. Our generation is in desperate need of people who have an extra dose of confidence. And I'm not talking about the kind that you muster up like a deep breath before entering a room. I'm talking about confidence that can't be killed. The kind which radiates from the inside. 

As people of faith, we say that we should not be “self” confident we should be “God” confident. This is true. I love the fact that God is the most confident being alive! He beams with pure confidence. But when we look a little deeper we see that God wants us to believe in the value He put in us. God thinks you are amazing and He actually believes in you! If He thinks you are worthy of His Son then you should too. (Ephesians 2:4-7) My goal is not to make people full of themselves. Self-focus is not the same thing as self-confidence. Self-focus will only get you as far as introspection or a viral selfie. So what is self-confidence really about? When we strip this thing down to the bare bones it looks like a conviction in your identity as a child of God. When you are confident in the value and call God put on your life then you will be a game changer and influencer in your corner of the world. Self-confidence shapes the world around you because of the destiny that is in you. Living aware that you are God's kid is the ultimate definition of confidence. 

Walk in your lane

If confidence is so important then how do we grow in it? Here is a tool I use in my life. I ask myself, “Am I staying in my lane?” What I am asking myself is, am I staying where it is natural for me to be, or am I trying to be something that I am not? The more I try to be something that I am not the more insecure and awkward I feel. But if I stay true to the natural gifts and desires God hard-wired into me then my confidence grows.

I’ll let you in on one of my secrets. I don’t really like social media. I’m not into Instagram or even Facebook. You will rarely see anything from me on your news feed. Just opening up and sharing my thoughts like this for people to take a peek is really hard for me. But if you are lucky enough to get me one-on-one then you will not find a more encouraging friend to cheer you on. Sometimes when I see people who are amazingly vulnerable on social media and it really works for them I can feel a tug that it should work for me too. Like, maybe my connection wire is broken somewhere? But the truth is that I am not wired for this and I have got to be ok with that. We can celebrate the uniqueness of another person without downplaying the different color we bring to the canvas.

The counterfeit of confidence 

Comparison is the con man who swaps your identity with rubbish. Wishing you were walking the lane next to you will take away your influence because you are envying another person's God given realm of impact. If you empower envy then two things will happen - First, your place of influence will be abandoned. And second, you will become a cheap copy when you are designed to be an original. Envy is actually a warning sign of two unmet needs we have as humans. First, our need for significance and second the longing to be good enough. These are healthy desires. When we view envy as a red light for a deep need then it helps us to avoid the sin of swapping lanes with someone. By diagnosing and treating the real need we can fix the issue and not just dual the symptoms. Let's tackle comparison down with some truth. 

1. First, your life is significant. God made you as one of a kind influencer in your lane, you are called to do something that no one else can do there. The fact that you are alive right now means that God put something in you that this generation needs. Believing that you need to do life like someone else to be significant is a lie. God hand-fashioned you into who you are today, this is why you are significant. An artist pours out their very best into their work. God left nothing out when He made you. Get close to your Author and let His self-confidence rub off on you. 

2. Second, you are enough. God does not call the equipped, He equips the called. This means that if God asks you to do something then He will also show you how to do it. Moving to India with my husband was a huge risk for me, but it is the best place for me right now because it is my lane. If you find yourself between a rock and a hard place then God will give you the solutions. You don't lack anything if you are willing to ask Him for it. You may not feel like enough or see your talents yet, but the potential is there. You don’t need to look outside and do what other people are doing because God has you where you are at on purpose! Maybe the biggest reason we step off our path is that we feel like we don't have what it takes to succeed. We look at what we are lacking instead of what we have. You are good enough to be a life-giver right where you are at. We must stop beating ourselves up over the things we are mediocre in and begin celebrating what we are passionate and talented in. 

“Even before God made the world, He loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes.” (Ephesians 1:4) Your life has a significant call and God says you are enough to live it out! Real confidence is being brave to walk in your own lane. 

You've got this! 

Our world needs you to be a leader. You may not have a stage or a mic, but you have people around you who need what God put in you. You are a one of a kind answer to the questions that are being asked around you. You don’t have to wait for permission to be a leader. You don't have to prove yourself to anyone. Don’t wait for someone else to speak up. Stand up in your sphere and be the voice of revival. You are God's masterpiece created to do good works. He did not go through all the trouble of making you a new person in Christ just so you could hide or wish to be someone else. You may be called to move crowds or you may be called to move the souls who eat at your table. No matter what it looks like, your life is significant. God hand crafted your destiny even before you came into this world. (Ephesians 2:10) Don’t give up on your lane because your people need you.

Do you believe God has called you to something big? Do you feel confident in your lane? Share about it in the comments below. And remember, believe in your call and believe in your worth. Stay in your lane and bravely be yourself because God says you are good enough.

Love, Laurel