CONFIDENTLY HUMBLE-

At first it seems like it could be an oxymoron; confidently humble.  But it isn't...I don't think.

To me this is a paramount challenge.  We want our servant-warriors (there it goes again) to be fearless without being obnoxious.  What I'm seeing is that the pathway of Jesus is incredibly unique.

If awareness, focus, and concentration are not given attention, then we will find that we will drift in unbalance toward one or the other; confident or else humble.

Christianity advances due to humble effort.  Yet, it declines when voices of self-confident arrogance begin to label, sort, and judge one's caliber of devotion and service in the kingdom.  A key, I believe, to being confidently humble may be sorted out at the cross-bridge of the word self-confidence.

Self-confidence is that main thing I always wanted; always believed I needed.  Oddly, lacking it is often at the height of being very low.  Truthfully, I find that self-confidence is a fundamental lie for it leads us by our own noses to engage in only the things where we believe we can excel.

The Kingdom of God is not about calling the exceller's to help Him out.  It is all about a call to the fishermen-become-apostles, the ordinary, and the you'd-never-have-guessed-who-or-what-God-would-use talent roster for His next you've-got-to-be-kidding-me exercise in rescuing mankind.

It's just plain weird and only gets weirder.  Moses, you lead 'em.  You're least likely.  Esther, you speak up.  I know you'd prefer not.  Jesus, go in as an infant born in a shed.  They'll never have guessed.  Paul, get a prison record.  That'll throw 'em.

How can one be confidently humble?  In the wild and unordinary system of the Kingdom of God, it's nearly a natural.  This becomes encouraging and fitting reality when one systematically shifts confidence in self (self-confidence) over to confidence in the Spirit.  II Cor. 3:5 spells out our basic rich confidence even as we are clearly aware of our own inadequacies.

Until the Spirit of God hit earth, confidence and inadequacy never seemed to fit within the same person.  Now...it's all over the place.

To know that we can't and yet He can within us is the open door to effectiveness.  We are not enough. He knows that.  Yet, He has asked our permission to rent our space so that He could do His kind of reach.  Our job is to give Him permission.

From His move-in date, we then can anticipate a new sort of personality; one moving from fear to love.  We can expect a new world in the same world; new attitude, new patience, new understanding because the Spirit is loaning us His.

Are we to be confident?  Of course; but never in that one we had which fades in cowardice.  We are to present His confidence as He pumps through our heartbeat.  His body died on the cross.  He's begged permission to use ours.  We humbly...and confidently...let Him!!