DISCOVER ONE AMAZING BEHAVIOR YOU CAN TRY TODAY TO DISPLAY QUIET CONFIDENCE IN A DIGNIFIED, ATTRACTIVE, AND HEALTHY MANNER.
I love metaphors.
Jesus did, too. Throughout the Gospels, He relayed many of them. The one I want to focus on today is how we are “the light of the world.”
The Bible is full of talk about light.
- In the beginning, God spoke physical light into existence. (Genesis 1:3)
- Later, the Word of God was described as a light to our path. (Psalm 119:105)
- In the New Testament, Jesus describes Himself many times as the Light we can follow to stay away from Darkness. (John 8:12)
- Then he calls us the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14)
Light vs. Dark. We see this theme throughout the Bible.
And while you may understand that it has to do with bringing hope to a hurting world, you may be wondering what it has to do with having Quiet Confidence.
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What Quiet Confidence Is Not
As Christians, when we shine light into a darkened world, it isn’t our own light. It’s light we are reflecting from the ultimate Light, Jesus.
And in all honesty, that’s the only way we could shine light into the world. At least consistently. If we weren’t reflecting God’s goodness, if we were trying to muscle our way through, a few different things could happen.
We Might Get Exhausted
When we focus on our own light, it will undoubtedly start to dim. In cases like these, focusing on our own light encourages us to strive for perfectionism. And not in a holy way. We see the ways we should serve and the ways we should act. We know what we to say and what to avoid.
And in that striving to have every ‘t’ crossed and every ‘i‘ dotted–applying the thickest lacquer across our carefully-constructed smiles–we grow tired. Burned out. Unsure of who we are anymore.
If the light we shine is of our own making, then it is manufactured. And limited. Light that comes from Jesus is authentic and unending.
We Might Become Too Selfish
If we strive to send our own light into the world, we lose our focus. Our eyes drift away from God. When that happens, we start to look to ourselves to source that light.
Indeed, we focus all our attention on ourselves.
I mean, yes, we’re trying to reach those who need hope… but when we are also looking to ourselves to make that happen, we begin to see those around us as causes instead of simply people.
In the end, helping others really becomes a way to feel good about ourselves.
We’ll Misplace Our Faith
This is a similar concept to the other two. When we manufacture our own light, we lose our focus on Christ. If our eyes drift to anything else, often to ourselves or a close loved one, in order to produce that light, we become idolaters.
We put our faith and trust in the wrong people, belongings, and events. And when we do so, we will inevitably be let down, because those things never could fill us up and produce that lasting light we need. They aren’t meant to. Only Jesus is meant for that job.
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How Quiet Confidence Comes From Jesus’s Light
Now that we know that our own light is reflecting the light of Jesus, I have another metaphor for you.
Think of a lighthouse.
The lighthouse stands on the shore. In sunshine and in storm, it weathers whatever comes–shining its light out over the crashing waves to anyone caught out there. The light is reflected out, and won’t be hidden in the darkness.
Its surety gives us a sense of awe at its magnificence, yet it is also unassuming. Simply doing what it’s created to do.
Quietly confident.
Quiet Confidence Can Be Our Superpower
The deeper our relationship grows with Christ, the more we begin to cultivate His goodness in our hearts. As our hearts fill with that goodness–that Light–it begins to overflow into our daily lives.
Our lives begin to reflect the Light of our Creator, just as a lighthouse reflects light into the storm.
This quiet confidence within us has a profound effect. On us. On others. While it continually brightens our own life, it sends hope and peace to others as well.
So, how does that make Quiet Confidence our superpower?
When we stop trying to manufacture our own light, we diminish the exhaustion we feel because we aren’t putting all the weight of “being the light” on our own shoulders. When we rely on Jesus to be our Light, we keep our eyes fixed on Him instead of ourselves. This reduces our tendency to be selfish and also places our faith on Someone who will never let us down.
When we are enlivened with our new surplus of energy, impassioned with our humility, and inspired by our faith in Christ alone, we become a powerhouse that is fueled rightly and is able to truly touch the world.
I know that, daily, the change feels so profound in me. I can’t wait to see the transformation grow in you, too!
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