Posts Tagged: confidence

“HUMBLE CONFIDENCE”

 

My verse of the day today on my smart phone ap was this:

“ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:58, New American Standard Bible, 1995)

I often tell my students, “C.I.E.”  This stands for “Context Is Everything!”  If you don’t pay attention to the surroundings of a verse, you will not really understand that verse.  Or, at the very least, you won’t understand it as well as you could.  So, what is the context of 1 Corinthians 15:58?

This verse, in what we call Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, is the practical conclusion of a very important section of teaching.  The Corinthian Christians were a pretty messed-up group in a whole bunch of ways.  One of those ways was that they did not believe in a real, physical resurrection from the dead.

Paul responds to this is several ways.  There isn’t the time in a blog post to go into all of those in depth, so I’ll summarize.  Paul basically points out that:

  • He and all the other apostles and teachers had taught the resurrection.
  • The Old Testament (the Scriptures for Christians of that day) taught the resurrection.
  • Jesus had been raised from the dead, and he had so closely identified himself with us that our own resurrection was inevitable.
  • There are analogies in nature (seeds for example) that only what dies can spring up to new life.

Paul could deal with some pretty deep issues at times.  Although I’ve studied him a great deal, and taught classes on his life and writings, I feel as if I’ve just scratched the surface.

And yet, Paul almost always ends his discussions of abstract matters on a very practical, down-to-earth note.  After discussing the Christian doctrine of physical resurrection, Paul basically says, “So get busy, and stay busy doing what you should!”

What on earth (pun optional) does what we do here and now have to do with resurrection?!

Actually, the resurrection has a great deal to do with what we do here and now.  Think about it: What is it, ultimately, that calls all our efforts in this life into question?  Is it not death?  I have heard it said, “Life is hard, and after that you die.”  This is a common philosophy.

But if, as Paul and the other early Christian cats taught, death is not the final word, then life—and what we do in it—matter a great deal.

Interestingly, the verbs in the original Greek of 1 Corinthians 15:58 are all in the present tense.  This suggests continual or on-going action.  Since the resurrection of the dead is true, the Corinthian believers must continually be steadfast, immovable, continually abounding in the work of the Lord, continually knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.  (If the present tense wasn’t enough, Paul adds the Greek word for “always” just before the bit about abounding in the work of the Lord!  Paul was never bashful about piling on words to make what he was saying clear.)

Today, I begin teaching a course in the regular undergraduate program at the university.  I have always taught in the College of Adult Learning, which was populated with people who were closer to my age.  I am also using a Bible software that I had never used until about ten days ago.  My affirmation, sent to my 12-step sponsor this morning, is as follows:

Today, by God’s grace, I am humble confidence.  This combination will honor God, be helpful to students, and will be true to who I am.

Perhaps, in light of the resurrection, I should actually try believing this.

 

“Confidence: Cultivating Courage in Others in the Little Things”

“Then David continued, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the LORD is finished correctly.” (1 Chronicles 28:20)

David was about to die, and was encouraging his son, Solomon, to build the temple.  “Be strong and courageous, and do the work!” says David.

Does it really take courage  to build a temple?  Yes, as a matter of fact, it does!

My wife and I just did a little project at our house.  We were having the kitchen remodeled.  Others did the really hard work—installing the cabinets and setting the countertops.

However, when the company that was overseeing the project wanted $400.00 to hook the kitchen sink back up after the countertops were set, my wife and I decided to do it ourselves.

Now, I come from a family of very capable artisans and fixer-uppers.  However, I am an outlier in my family.  Words?  Yes!  Fixing stuff?  Generally speaking, no!

However, my wife used a major incantation to relax my very uncourageous muscles.  She said, “We can do this.”

“We” is such a magic word!

A friend confirmed my wife’s spell.  He even said that we would have fun doing it.  And we did!  (The same friend said that we should not try to wallpaper together.  He warned me that divorce lawyers camped out around wallpaper stores in order to drum up business.  Warning duly noted!)

“We can do this,” she said.  And we did!  And, yes, it really was fun!

We tend to think of courage as something soldiers and firemen demonstrate.  I don’t doubt that this is true.  However, there are the smaller chances for courage that are also important.  To show courage is a wonderful thing.  To encourage courage in others is perhaps even more wonderful.

I conclude with a note that I left at my wife’s place at the table this morning.

 

“My Dearest,

One of the gifts that you give me is confidence.  You have a can-do attitude, not only for yourself, but also for me.

When you believe that I can do something, I have more courage to at least try.  And sometimes, really quite often these days, I succeed!

Courage is not simply a gift we are given or achieve.  Courage is a gift we give others.

With Great love and Appreciation,

Your Sweetheart

“MY UN-HORSEMANSHIP SKILLS”

When I was little, there were lots of westerns on t v.  So, I thought I would like to ride a horse.

Then I got to ride a horse.  It was not an enjoyable experience.  My brother brought his quarter horse from Colorado to pasture it on my Dad’s farm in Ohio.  He invited me to go for a ride with him to cut our Christmas tree from the back of our farm.

So there we were: a big brother who was a pretty good horseman, a fairly well-behaved quarter horse named “Sugar,” a nine-year-old kid who had never been on a horse, a two-bitted axe, and (on the way back) a six-foot pine tree.

You can tell this story is not going to end well, can’t you?

Actually, nothing tragic and permanently debilitating occurred.  That was thanks to my brother and to Sugar.   However, it was most definitely not a fun experience.  My brother complained about me to Mom.  I still remember what he said: “He sits on a horse like a sack of potatoes!”

I have never seen a sack of potatoes riding a horse.  I think that may have been my brother’s main point.

Life is like that.  Sometimes you get what you want, and find out that it is much more demanding than you had ever dreamed.  The analogy between riding horses and life holds at many levels.

First of all, I suppose that you need to start off with a horse that is suited to your skill level.  Beginners need a fairly docile horse.  Galloping is neither required nor wise at this point.  Wanting to do too much or to be too much too fast is not a good idea.

The path matters too.  Most of us are not good enough at life to stray too far off the more straightforward paths.  And there are some paths that even a master horseman ought not to attempt.  As an addict, I have a tendency to want to ride my horse over a cliff.  However, we are not talking about the winged horse Pegasus here.  Horses and their riders need to be careful as to what path they are taking.

I have often been told that horses (as well as other animals) can sense fear, and that it is important that the rider not show (or feel?) fear.  A certain amount of confidence is essential to riding.  When I was little, confidence was not something I had learned to either spell or have.

Balance is important in riding.  I am not naturally a balanced person.  I tend to lean to the right.  Then, I tend to overcompensate to the left.  Before long, I’m looking up at the belly of the horse, hoping that she doesn’t kick me or step on me.

Finally, those who learn to ride a horse are those who get back on the horse after they have fallen off or been thrown.  Life is not easy, and we will fall off or be thrown.  An old movie about a rodeo rider (“Lonely Are the Brave,” I think it was) had an experienced rider say, “There never was a horse that couldn’t be rode, and there never was a cowboy that couldn’t be throwed.”  That may not be good English, but it’s a good truth to remember.

EPILOGUE

Years after my Christmas tree expedition, my wife and I took our kids to a stable to ride horses.  While the kids went for a ride on a beginner’s trail, I chatted with one of the wranglers.  I admitted to him that I was not a horseman, that I was, in fact, afraid of horses.  He was a nice guy who could have sold an Eskimo a freezer.  Somehow he got me up on a horse (for free!), and had me riding by the time my kids got back.  My kids, especially my oldest daughter, were amazed.  So was I!

Anyone care to go for a ride with me on a horse named “Life?”

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