The Role of Confidence in Expressing Your Calling

Confidence makes all the difference when you're pursuing God's plan for your life. It stems from trust—a belief that God made you good enough, and that in Him, you have everything you need to build what He has placed in your heart. This frees you to pursue the good works He has prepared for you in a healthier and more wholehearted way.

An Unexpected Lesson

A few years ago, I attended a church that met in a school hall with rented chairs. Most people sat down without a second thought—until we went through a strange period where chairs started collapsing during services. After the third person hit the floor in about as many weeks, the wise among us suddenly became chair inspectors. What we had trusted without question became suspect.

Confidence is a lot like faith—it's belief built on experience. The chair incident got me thinking: we place our weight on chairs because we're confident they'll hold us. We trust them to do what they were made to do. Unless you were there for those unfortunate services, you'd sit without hesitation. But for those who witnessed the chair catastrophes, that trust was shaken.

At its core, confidence is trust that something (or someone) is capable of doing what you expect it to do. That's how confidence is built—and how it's lost.

Confidence is trust that something (or someone) is capable of doing what you expect it to do.

The Role of Confidence in Leadership

When pioneering something new—whether it's a fresh initiative, a public speaking opportunity, or an important relationship—confidence in yourself is crucial. A healthy sense of confidence allows you to engage more fully with others. You're not constantly distracted by fear, self-doubt, or anxiety; you're free to focus on the task at hand.

When you're not confident, it's like being unsure whether the chair will hold you. You second-guess yourself. You hesitate. You're preoccupied with uncertainty instead of engaging with what's in front of you. This can show up as self-doubt, anxiety, procrastination, or a persistent sense of unease. It also affects your effectiveness because you're spending energy worrying about whether you have what it takes instead of applying yourself fully.

A lack of confidence often leads people to play it safe. They may become controlling, avoid challenges, or miss opportunities because fear of failure or rejection begins to shape their decisions. Whether it's catastrophising, withdrawing, or overthinking, the focus shifts from wholehearted engagement to self-protection. It's difficult to lead well when your primary goal is avoiding risk rather than pursuing what matters.

Lack of confidence turns leadership into fear management.

The Making of a Great Leader

Great leaders inspire and motivate others. That's difficult to do when you're consumed by insecurity at the expense of being captured by a compelling vision. Leadership requires the freedom to connect, to take risks, and to model the future you want others to step into.

Also, as a general rule: people don't follow your words; they follow your example. You reproduce who you are, not just what you say. If you want to lead others into a vision marked by confidence, purpose, and courage, you need to embody those qualities yourself.

People live according to what they truly believe. If you want to know what you believe about yourself and about God, look at the patterns of your life over time. Confidence is an expression of belief, and when it's shaky, fear often takes the driver's seat. That might look like resorting to clinging to control, playing small, or holding back when you know you shouldn't.

You reproduce who you are, not just what you say.

Renewing the Way You See Yourself

Part of being transformed by the renewing of our minds is allowing the gospel to shape how we see ourselves. That means replacing lies with truth—truth from Scripture and truth from what God has personally spoken to us. It also involves taking action that aligns with who God says we are.

Confidence grows as we live from our identity in Christ and step out in faith. As we do, we increasingly learn to trust what God says about us, including the truth that He made us good enough.

Solid Confidence Sets You Up to Live and Lead Well

When you live and act from a place of confidence, you're free to pursue and express God's plan wholeheartedly. You're no longer consumed with protecting yourself. You have greater capacity for creativity, problem-solving, and serving others. As your thinking becomes more aligned with God's truth, you're better able to step into the good works He prepared for you with clarity, courage, and faith.

In conclusion, confidence helps you show up better, connect more deeply, and lead more effectively. It's essential for anyone looking to pioneer new ideas and inspire those around them.