Recently, my daughter reported her younger sister’s lackadaisical attitude in study. She perceived it stemmed from her excellent performance in her previous exams. When I got to their study, I told her; “Beware of overconfidence. Put your previous success behind you and press for more.” She became sober as she got the message.
Friend, beware of overconfidence. Actually, as Christians, our confidence should not be in ourselves or our abilities. Our confidence should be in Christ and what He has done for us (Philippians 3:9). Our confidence should be in our connection with God. Like Paul stated, we must not have confidence in our flesh (Philippians 3:3).
The life of David will always serve as an example for us in depending on God. The fact that you won the battle previously does not mean you should not ask God for direction in the next one (1 Samuel 30:8). One of the deception and seduction of success is the temptation to get so used to succeeding that it stops us from relying on God. This is why people fail unexpectedly (Judges 16:20).
God will allow you to fail in areas where you are very confident in order to help you redirect your focus and confidence to Him (Jeremiah 17:5-9). Sometimes, those who boast that they can never have issues with their marriage are often victims of marital crises. Once you make your boast in the flesh, you open the door for the devil in your life (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).
If you are to make a boast, you should make your boast in the Lord (Psalm 34:2). You should make your boast in the strength that God provides. He is able to keep you from falling (Jude 1:24). You should boast in the fact that God is the glory and lifter of your head. Any boasting outside of God is an open invitation for the devil to attack you.
It is easier to take your weakness to God. But would you take your strength to Him (1 Samuel 2:9)? Can you still pray and depend on God even after you have prepared well for that exam? Would you still trust God to meet your needs even when you have enough money to get it done (Philippians 4:19)? God wants us to submit both our weaknesses and strengths to Him.
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria