Be Confident: Soccer Lessons

"Be confident, not cocky."

   When I played soccer in college there were 3 types of goalies: goalies who really didn't know what they were doing/were new, goalies who knew what they were doing and were cocky about it, and goalies who knew what they were doing but were not cocky they were confident. I remember one keeper in particular was particularly cocky. She would keep the ball at her feet a long time until one of our players ran up to her and almost hit her. She would yell in a mean tone at her teammates. She would run out at players to scare them. She did more, but you get my point.

   One day we were playing a game against them. It was our Homecoming day and we had to defend our field. My team came out swinging. We scored 7 goals that game against this keeper. She wasn't cocky that day. She was angry. She was angry at her team. She came into that game thinking her team was going to win and she would get another shut out. Instead she hurt her team more.

   That's the problem with being cocky: you think that you are the greatest thing since sliced bread and you can't own up to your own mistakes. Confidence is different. Confidence is different because of where, or who, it comes from. If you are confident it is most likely because you are doing something you've done for a long time. You have had practice because you know what you are doing. But, did you know that you can have confidence in everything that you do?

   2 Timothy 1:7 says: "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." We have power in the Lord. He walks with us each day. He guides our steps and wants us to follow him. If we follow his ways we can have confidence that he is with us. Now, that doesn't mean that we should be cocky because of this.

   James 4:10 says: "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." If we exalt ourselves, then God will not exalt us. Cocky is the opposite of humble. There's a very fine balance between being confident in the Lord, yet humble, and being prideful. If we go around praising ourselves all the time, that's not humility. If we expect things and people to do things for us that's not humility, that's entitlement. You don't deserve anything you have. The only thing you deserve is death. BUT (this is where hope comes), because God sent his son to die for our sins we can have confidence. We have been redeemed and that's why we can be confident. That's why we should have confidence in the talents God gave us. That's why we should use our talents to reflect God's glory. He deserves all the honor.

   So, are you confident or cocky? Do you have confidence in God or in your own abilities? How can you reflect God's glory by showing humility today?

   Image from here.