The Father’s Sufficiency: Intentional Cultivating

“Don’t be so naive and self-confident. You’re not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else.
Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God-confidence.
No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.” 1Corinthians 10:12-13 MSG

Who do you place your confidence in? Who do you depend on? The government? Your employer? Your Pastor? Yourself?

You are setting yourself up for disappointment and defeat if you place your confidence in anything or anyone other than God! “Don’t be naive and self-confident. You’re not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else.”

Ouch! I’ve literally fallen flat on my face before. On the ice. It required 10 stitches. And a bruised ego. Not a good place to be.

The Apostle Paul advises us to “Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless.” We need Someone bigger and wiser. Who knows the end from the beginning. Who sees the big picture…not just the little snapshot of life we are currently standing in.

And who is that Someone? God! The Omnipotent (All-Powerful) Omni-Present (Everywhere Present) and Omniscient (All-Knowing) God! So instead of depending on yourself, you’re supposed to cultivate God-confidence! Depend on Him! Trust Him! He sure has the credentials!

Cultivate means “to promote or improve the growth (in God), by labor and attention.” So as you cultivate God-confidence, you need to be intentional. It takes work and attention to His ways, His thoughts, His direction. And those would all be housed in the Bible…God’s Word.

Then, when a test or temptation pops up, you will be ready. You have cultivated God-confidence. You know that you know that He will never let you down. He will never let you be pushed past your limit. He will take you through it.