But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.

Jeremiah 17:7–8

In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced…

Romans 8:37–38

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Our everyday frontlines provide great opportunities for fruitful living.

But there’s a problem. For many of us, it’s easier to sing a little louder on Sunday than live a little bolder on Monday. It’s a confidence thing.

It’s so often easier to have confidence on Sunday, when we’re gathered with other Christians, than the rest of the week. Confidence is harder to muster on our frontlines, where our faith feels lonelier.

Many of us find our confidence diminished and diluted in the places we work, rest, and play. Thankfully, we have a winning list of God-given resources and strategies to grow confidence. It’s these confidence building blocks we’ll reflect on over the next six weeks.

But the confidence we’re aiming for isn’t self-confidence and should never be arrogant. It comes, as Jeremiah reminds us, from trusting in God.

If we can grow in confidence that’s characterised by kindness and humility, we have a Christlike, winning combination. As Jeremiah so beautifully pictures it, it becomes a healthy root system helping us to withstand tricky times and circumstances and to continue to bear fruit.

And Jeremiah is well placed to talk about the blessing of confidence.

He had more reasons for his confidence to ebb than flow – but he managed to keep going. He was called to some pretty tough stuff: to confront the complacent and call out the conceited. He was beaten up, locked up, and told to shut up. He was called to tend and go on tending an orchard that bore little fruit. But he had confidence in the Lord.

Paul, who could certainly relate to Jeremiah’s struggles, highlights where this confidence came from. Towards the end of Romans 8, Paul describes us as more than conquerors, even in the face of death and persecution, famine and nakedness. Why? Because he is convinced of the truth that nothing can separate him from the love of God.

Being convinced is a vital building block in our own confidence too. At the start of Lent, if I can remind myself why I am convinced, then I can choose to place my trust in my Lord.

As I increasingly learn to trust in God, my confidence in him grows. If I have confidence in him, I have all the confidence I need. As a result, I can sing a little louder on Sunday and live a little bolder on Monday.

Ken Benjamin
Director of Church Relationships, LICC

What truth are you convinced of, as you go out onto your frontlines this week? Join the conversation in the comments below.