Self-confidence versus Godfidence

Self-confidence versus Godfidence 

By Oluwatoyosi Adegunle 

Edited by Bibi Babatunde-Ikotun  

At a time during my undergraduate days, I believed that if a student studies well, and does everything right, success is sure. I never pitied anyone who had a carryover, never gave them possible or obvious excuses that could have caused failure, because I concluded it was due to unseriousness or lack of preparation, which might be true and can cause failure too. I believed in my work so much that I didn't see anything that could stop me from making all A's in my courses, which is also a good attitude as well. You need to believe in and hype yourself, but never ever take away the presence and contribution of God's power, grace, and enablement from anything you do. 

Lo and behold, I did everything right, read so well and hard, boom! I had a carryover. "What?!?! How is that even possible" I thought. I was so devastated, cried so hard and prayed to God for help and I realized I never trusted God for help even though I seemed to have it all figured out. Ever since I have learned to trust God.

Self-confidence is important because the lack of this can cost you some things as it concerns your relationship with people at work or in other places. You need this life skill to pull things off and make things happen for yourself. 

Guess what is more important, God-fidence. Simply put, this means trusting absolutely in God to make things work for you even when you don't deserve it or your skills and knowledge can not give you what you need. Ability to trust God is divine, and you need to build your God-fidence twice as much as you build your self-confidence. Times when you seem to have it all figured out, and due to life issues, your wall seems to be breaking down, God keeps it all together for you.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV) 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall [a]direct your paths.

To trust in the Lord is to completely lean on Him. Imagine being in the ocean and all you have is a pool floater to keep you afloat. There's no backup plan just in case the tube pool floater can't work anymore. That's how God wants us to rely on Him. Lean on Him completely like He is your only plan. Outside Him, you have no other plan for survival.

There will be times that the temptation to result in self-help will come. A time where you'd say, let me put God aside after all people say "heaven helps those who help themselves". This statement is not for the believer in Christ. The believer is helped first before he or she can help her/her self. God does not continue what you start, He starts and gives you the grace to do and walks with you till the very end. Don't take him out of the situation. He wants you to acknowledge that He is the one that leads and directs you at all times. 

Still, during my undergraduate days, the second semester 100 level to be precise, I had an exam on this fateful day and overslept. I came to the exam hall 15 minutes to the end of the exam. I couldn't even cry, I just prayed to God for help to write whatever I could, because my H.O.D gave me an extra 15 minutes to write it. At this point, all I had was God, because all that I read practically flew off my brain. I was tensed! Till today, I will never understand how I passed that exam.

Put these two personal experiences together and understand why God-fidence is a necessity for every believer.

Philippians 4:12 teaches us to live on the sufficiency and sustainability of God irrespective of how wealthy or prosperous you are. Don't only rely on God when you don't have enough. Rely on him for EVERYTHING EVERY TIME. Sometimes, our trust in God is not absolute. You pray to God for help, but your plans A-Z is top of your mind, and you lowkey rely on them. Let God be your sufficiency always!

Shalom!