How can I live confidently?

Introduction:

Have you ever wondered how you can live your life making confident decisions? In a world where there is so many variables and how impossible it is to predict what is around the corner, how can a person live confidently?

Now I would want to clarify that this confidence is not arrogance. One is bold and courageous based on fact, while arrogance is cocky self assurance based upon assumptions. Can one actually live confidently without being arrogant? Yes and this is what we are going to look at today from the wisdom of Solomon.

Point #1 - Confidence comes from God.

This passage that we are looking at actually starts in (3:1) where the author commands the son not to forget the teaching. So when we look at (5-8) the first verse of this stanza is a command to trust and closes in (8) with a promise for keeping that command which is healing and refreshment to the body.

So confident living begins with being obedient to the command to trust the LORD. What does trust mean? It is meant to be considered from a military term as humbly laying face down awaiting orders from a conquering general. In wisdom this is to say that to trust the LORD is to submit and commit fully to following and obeying the teachings that the LORD gives.

Of course this makes perfect sense when the LORD is all knowing, perfect in wisdom and all powerful to accomplish all that he decrees. It would be foolish to lean on your own understanding. What do we know when we can’t foretell our next step? To say that we got it all covered and can manage on our own is to be worse than a fool. (7) warns the son/student to be not wise in your own eyes. This is arrogance not confidence. This is pride to think that we somehow know better than God.

To be frank, this is one of my greatest sins that I constantly need to put to death. I doubt I am alone in this. When a situation arises and immediately I go to default mode in how to deal with it (example?). This is the sin of unbelief that Zechariah fell into in not believing the angel who said that his wife Elizabeth would be pregnant.

Thus we are to trust in the covenant God who we are in relationship with. To not lean on your own understanding is not to say that we turn off our brains and common sense. Rather it is not to think that our own way of solving problems is better than what the LORD instructs.

Point #2 - Confident living comes with obedience.

Have you ever heard of someone being a good driver by disobeying the laws of the road? Is a child blessed when he/she disobeys their parents repeatedly? How many soldiers ever make it through boot camp when they disobey the orders of their superiors? How good are we as Christians if we disobey the good and faithful teachings of the LORD?

(6) is a giant billboard that all of us need to see plainly. In “most” of our ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. No? In all our ways, in all that we do, live in light of of our relationship with our LORD and he will make our paths straight.

To acknowledge the LORD is to have this most intimate relationship. This is a loving commitment to uphold the vows of a marriage in covenant as an example. In (7) we see the phrase “Fear the LORD” which is to have that combination of love, trust and fear of our Father who saved us from sin. So out of this deep reverential commitment to the LORD we are to in “all” ways obey the commands given. Then the LORD will make your paths straight. The LORD helps the saint to confidently live when he obeys what he has commanded.

As again in (7) it is our human responsibility to turn away from evil and this makes our paths straight.