Branch On The Vine

By: Alli Matthews

What does it mean to have confidence in the Lord? 

Previously, we explored what it looks like when we try to have confidence in ourselves. Here is a link to that blog post if you missed it: https://branchonthevine.com/2024/06/04/the-people-pleasing-paralysis-problem-self-confidence-vs-confidence-in-god/

To summarize that one, building our confidence in ourselves actually leads to more insecurity and social anxiety. We end up getting stuck in cycles of pleasing people when we are focused on appearing “confident,” especially if we are faking it. 

So, if we shouldn’t place our confidence in ourselves, how do we actually have confidence in God instead? Let’s look at Proverbs 3 for some insight on how to do this:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6

You may have heard these popular verses before, but have you ever slowed down to take in what they mean? 

First, I want you to read all of Proverbs 3 so that you can understand more of the context behind this statement. Don’t worry; it’s not that long, and it’s worth the read. Here is a link to the full Proverb if you don’t have your Bible on hand: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+3&version=NIV 

This proverb was written by King Solomon to his son in hopes of sharing wisdom with him. Proverbs is a collection of poetic, wise teachings. This command that Solomon gives his son is meant to improve his life. 

Now that you know the background for these verses, let’s dig into how to have confidence in the Lord: 

1. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart” 

Let’s start with the first part of the passage which says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart…” (Proverbs 3:5a). I think this is pretty straight forward. Another way to phrase it would be: have full confidence in God – not partial. 

Do you fully trust God? 

It’s okay if your answer is no. It’s better to be honest with yourself. I think everyone struggles with trusting the Lord with all their heart at some point. There are times when I don’t fully trust God and try to control my life without Him, and it usually ends poorly. 

However, I have good news for you: it’s not too late for you to trust God with all your heart. If we are being realistic, it is a daily choice to make. Whether you acknowledge it or not, you wake up every morning and decide whether you are going to trust God or whether you are going to trust yourself. 

I encourage you to choose to trust God every day, even when you don’t feel like it because He is our trustworthy Creator, King, and Savior. Proverbs 3:19-20 says, “By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; by his knowledge the watery depths were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew.” I could go on and on about the faithfulness of God and why you should trust Him, but it is ultimately up to you to make the choice to trust Him. 

You’re probably thinking, “Yeah I get that I should trust the Lord, but how do I actually do that?” 

We’re getting there! 

2. “Lean not on your own understanding” 

This statement shuts down all of those cheesy phrases that society tells us like:

• “Follow your heart.”
• “You do you.”
• “Find your own truth.”
• “You’re the only one who knows what is best for you.”

The second part of this Proverbs 3:5 gets into the how. King Solomon states, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…” In other words, stop trusting yourself! If we lived our lives based on our own understanding, we would live selfishly and do more to hurt ourselves than to help ourselves. The human mind is far from perfect. If you have ever made a mistake before, you know this is true.  

The good news is that God shares His wisdom with us, especially when we ask for it through prayer. He shares wisdom with us through the Bible and through His Holy Spirit living in us if we are followers of Jesus Christ. He also speaks through other people to give us wisdom. We know God is speaking through another person when what he or she says matches Biblical truth. 

If you’re seeking to gain wisdom from the Lord, Proverbs is a great place to start in the Bible. Stop leaning on your own understanding to guide you through life because God offers you far better wisdom. This is why we should submit our lives to Him instead. 

3. “In all your ways submit to him”

This takes us into verse 6 which says, “in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:6). 

Submitting to God in all your ways means letting Him be in charge of your life. This means obeying His teachings and surrendering to what He wants for you. I will admit that this is not easy to do, but it is part of what it means to have confidence in God – it means you trust that His ways are better than your ways of doing things. 

God makes our paths straight when we let Him lead us. By surrendering to Him, He shows us the way – one step at a time. 

Proverbs 3:7-8 offers a great explanation of how to not lean on your own understanding and how to submit to the Lord in all things: “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” 

God has your best interest in mind. He wants you to have a wonderful life. He created you and loves you so much that He gave His Son, Jesus, for you. He did this so that by trusting Jesus Christ to be the Lord and Savior of your life, you could have an eternal relationship with Him – so that you could know Him as your Father, (John 3:16). 

Therefore, He is so worthy of your full trust and surrender. 

What does it look like to have confidence in the Lord? It really affects every area of life. 

For me, it involves noticing when I’m feeling anxious about something that I want to control and instead choosing to let God do what He wants to with the situation. It looks like less anxiety.

It involves walking into an exam or an interview feeling extremely nervous but trusting that God is in control of the results. It looks like doing my best, but knowing it will be okay if I don’t succeed because He is holding me. 

It involves recognizing when I am about to do something that may not be the best choice in order to fit in or please people and instead choosing to act in obedience to the Lord. It looks like confidence that wells up from within my soul because I know He loves me. It looks like knowing that my relationship with Jesus is the most important thing in my life. 

I hope this post has helped you understand what it means to truly have confidence in the Lord. Choosing to put your confidence in God is not necessarily the easy or natural thing to do, but it is the most wise way to live your life. Living from a place of trusting Jesus frees you from anxiety, insecurity, and sin. Today I challenge you to choose: 

• Fully trust God instead of yourself
• Submit to how He wants you to live

Doing so will create true, beautiful, and pure confidence that will well up from your soul.