Confident or Cocky?

Photo Copyright Alycia W. Morales 2009

 My children love to tear into their gifts when Christmas and their birthdays come around. They kneel before the tree or the table, awaiting the moment they can find out what's inside the brightly colored packages. Anticipation darts along as their eyes go from one gift to the next.


Jesus received gifts from the wise men at His birth. Valuable gifts. Gifts that represented who He was and what He was all about. 

God also gave us gifts at our birth. He instilled within us the tools He could use for building His kingdom here on earth. Sometimes we recognize them as ours. Other times, we don't.

Like my children unwrapping presents to find out what's inside, I've had to discover what is wrapped up inside of me. What did God place within that I can use for His kingdom purposes? What can I do to bring glory to Him?

Through years of discovery, trial and error, and a few successes, I've figured out what God has put inside of me. He has blessed me with creativity, an ability to write well, a love for His Word, a passion for seeing other women's lives changed, a passion for seeing marriages and families thrive, and a desire to know His truth and apply it to my life and share it with others. I am good at administrative work. I tend to prophecy on occasion as I pray. I understand how to serve and have become fairly good at it. 

Does this make me cocky? Admitting I'm good at something? That I have knowledge on certain subjects? That God has blessed me with a gift? Am I wiggling my fingers at you from the side of my head, singing "na-na-na-na-na" while scrunching up my face in an I'm-better-than-you taunt? No. Far from it. 

It displays my confidence in God. It displays my confidence that I know who I am in Christ and to what purpose He has called me. And that's a good thing. 

Self-confidence is not cockiness. It only becomes cockiness when you use it as a defense mechanism against someone else. Kids in high school are cocky. They think they know everything there is to know and need no help or advice from someone else. Adults who feel as if they need to be the one at the top of the ladder and step on others on their way up are cocky. People who can't see beyond themselves are cocky.

People who can admit they don't know everything (how could we?) and can learn from another person are confident. People who move out of the way so you can zip past them, applauding you as you go are confident. People who serve others and provide words of encouragement to boost others' self-esteem are confident. People who are willing to teach others what they know so someone else can live a better life are confident.

I've learned throughout my relationship with Jesus that it's okay to be confident.

It's okay to understand you have been given gifts from the Father of all creation. It's okay to desire a better career, a better home life, or a better ministry in order that you may bring even more glory to God. It's okay to want to do something to change the world around you. As long as Jesus is at the heart of it, and you aren't stepping on others to get there.

What gifts did God wrap inside of you? Do you have enough confidence in God and yourself to use them?

One of my favorite parables is the parable of the talents. Read it here. A master calls out his servants and gives them each talents. One receives five, one two, and another one. The key to this particular verse is that they were given to each according to his own ability. God knows exactly what we are capable of handling. The servants then go out to trade with their talents, two of them gaining more as a result of their hard work. But one servant is afraid of what would happen if he was unsuccessful, so he never tries. Instead, he buries it until his master returns.

If I can encourage you in anything today, don't bury your talent. Try using it for God. Whether you're good at sewing, shopping, handling finances, writing, singing, or anything else, God has put those things you're passionate about inside of you for a reason. Step out in faith, trust in Him to see you through, and watch as He brings your wildest dreams to pass.

Have confidence in God and in yourself. Only good will come of it! Remember, you're a daughter of the King of Kings!