Project Your Confidence

“All right, when the LORD has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will thrash your bodies with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.” 

Judges 8:7 

Our passage shows Gideon’s transformation from a man of fear and insecurity to a man of confidence, even trash talking! Judges 8:7 records the trash talking words of the same Gideon who, in Judges 6 seemed to be afraid of his own shadow.   

Who doesn’t want to feel confident? To live each day internally solid, not tossed about by the changing winds of life. What a powerful existence one would get to enjoy!  

Gideon shows us that becoming confident is possible. You can be changed. Regardless of the degree of your internal timidity or uncertainty, you can become internally strong! 

Gideon’s transformational journey led him to consider three questions. Each question provided Gideon an opportunity to step into a new internal reality. We have already covered the first two:  

1. Am I going to believe what God says about me? 

2. Am I going to be emotionally honest with my Father? 

Penetrating questions that target root level sources of our insecurities. The final question Gideon had to answer is this, “Will I project past victories into present battles?” Confidence should build as one experiences God’s faithfulness one battle at a time. Then a turn can happen. We can now project victory into future battles. We can know we are going to win before the fight happens!  

Now that is confidence. 

Watch how this develops in Gideon’s life and see how you can map this on to your experience. 

• Judges 6:11-16 Yahweh recruits Gideon. Gideon does not see himself as capable to the calling. He has to learn to see himself as Yahweh sees him.  
• Judges 6:17-18, 36-40 Gideon needs assurance from Yahweh that He is going to be faithful to give Gideon victory in his assigned battles.  
• Judges 6:19-35, 7:1-25 Yahweh gives Gideon victory!  

• Judges 8:1-21 Gideon faces a new battle. The people of Succoth are new enemies on a new battlefield on a new day. Gideon chooses to apply past victories to this present battle and confidently boasts to his enemies that victory is coming!  

Gideon’s transformation happened! He saw himself as Yahweh saw him. He was emotionally honest. And, now, he is applying past victories to present battles. Gideon is internally strong and projecting victory into his issues instead of letting his issues dictate his emotions and his actions! 

How does his story model transformation for you?  

Too often our Father gives us victory in an issue but we do not carry it forward to present issues. We may believe that while He was faithful yesterday, today is the day He will fail me. We may believe that He is faithful in some areas but not in others. We can easily be guilty of holding onto control in an issue, not surrendering it, and suffering the insecurity that comes when we take charge.  

Where are you in your transformation into confidence?  

Jesus certainly lived a confident life, internally strong and at peace, trusting in who He was according to the Father and the Holy Spirit. He was emotionally honest with His Father throughout His journey. And He projected confidence into the issues and battles he fought.  

If you are in Christ, our Father wants you to become confident. He gifts you internal strength. But, remember, this Kingdom confidence is a paradox. Your confidence does not come from your ability to win. Kingdom confidence flows easily when we learn to trust in our Father’s winning in us and through us.  

Follow Gideon’s journey. 

Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in applying these texts to your life. 

Reject every lie that says: 

1. You are anything less that who the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit say you are 

2. Your emotions are irrelevant or are everything to your victory 

3. God your Father will not be faithful in today’s battle 

Rest. Breathe back into Trinitarian LIFE. Feel the crackle of the Holy Spirit’s electricity. And enjoy who you are becoming.  

Confidence is possible.  

Deep, abiding confidence can be yours.  

This is LIFE in the OVERFLOW.