Walking with the Wise #187: Cultivating Confidence

“In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence,

and his children will have a refuge.”
—Proverbs 14:26

As a parent, I want to provide for my children. But not only provide for them materially, but give them a spiritual foundation that will last long after I’m gone and will continue on to the next generation. Everyone has a legacy—whether good or bad. We copy what we see our parents or families doing. I had a professor once who told the story of coming home from school when he was just a boy. When he got off the bus, he would see his mother waiting for him. On her forehead was a small red imprint—which he knew all too well. The sign on her head came from her bowing in prayer, with her head resting on her thumb. She had been praying for him that God would save him and use him for His service—which He did. My professor ended up being a choir director at a large Bible college taking college kids all over the world to minister in song. He also was the worship leader for a very long time at a large historic church.

We mimic what we see modeled before us, and our children will repeat the process. And the greatest legacy a parent can leave for their child is the “fear of the Lord.” If we regularly place God before all of our thoughts, honor Him in all of our actions—our children will (hopefully) catch it. Not to say that we won’t make mistakes and not to say our children won’t have periods of rebellion—they will. There is only one perfect parent and that is the Lord, and we rebelled against Him. Our job is to place God before us above all things, for when we do, we will have a strong confidence and our children will have a refuge—an umbrella of faith that will provide them with safety, security, strength, success, and significance as the storms of life assail them.

Is the fear of the Lord before you? Do you have a strong confidence in Him? Can your children see Jesus in you? If not, then you can change that right now, commit yourself to Him, ask Him to give you the strength, perseverance, and wherewithal necessary to do that which is honoring and glorifying in His sight. Amen.