"Confidence Through Christ"

2 Corinthians 5:1-10

“Confidence Through Christ”

By: Rev. Kenneth Sauer, Pastor of Parkview United Methodist Church, Newport News, VA

One of the most painful things that humans often have to live with is a lack of confidence.

This lack of confidence causes us all kinds of troubles.

Early on, it makes it difficult for us to make friends.

We are easily ostrasized.

We feel as if we don’t measure up.

Therefore, many of us feel forced to try and do anything to fit-in.

As youngsters, we might get involved in drugs and alcohol.

We might begin to become accustomed to relying on an array of addictive and very unhealthy behaviors that

follow us into adulthood--causing us not to live up to our potentials.

Many people are painfully shy.

They are literally scared of other human beings.

And this shyness causes many of us not to join in on the fun at picnics and parties.

Some of us decide not to go to Bible study, join the choir, become part of a small group, come to youth

fellowship, or Sunday School.

It stops many of us from approaching the person of the opposite sex whom we are attracted too because we

are just too scared...and our low self-esteem will not allow us to break the ice.

Many of us are literally disabled from our lack of confidence.

We may not have a good body image, therefore we don’t go to the beach with the rest of the crowd...for

fear that others will see us and make fun of us.

We miss out on a lot of fun and a lot of good opportunities do to our lack of confidence...which really

boils down to a form of self-hatred.

What in the world are we so worried about?

Why are we missing out on the abundance that life offers?

What can we do about it?

What is the answer?

Is there an answer?

Because I’ll tell you....

If there is one thing which causes us to miss out....

If there is one thing that gets between us and happiness....

If there is one thing that gets between us and success it is a lack of confidence.

I know because I used to be painfully shy.

And when I say painfully...I mean it hurt.

And I missed out on a lot of friendships, a lot of fun, and wasted a lot of time due to my lack of

confidence.

I’ve read many studies....results from many polls conducted....and they all seem to come up with the same

thing.

The greatest fear that humans face is public speaking!

Lots of people confess that they would rather die than have to get up in front of a group of people and

speak.

We are really afraid of each other aren’t we?

How ridiculous is that?

It’s totally absurd, but many very intellegent people suffer in varying degrees from what the experts label as

agoraphobia or the fear of people.

Could it be that so many of us are so aware of our short-comings--too aware or too caught up in

them--that we actually have convinced ourselves that we aren’t as good as all the other Tom, Jane, and Harry’s in

this world?

Are we so self-absorbed....that we can’t get beyond that ugly picture we paint of ourselves in the mirror?

Why can’t we come to an understanding that we are all in the same boat...we are all on the same

ship....we all have faults....and therefore empathize, realize that others aren’t watching our every move--and

even if they were....what would it matter?

Yeah, I used to be really, really self-absorbed.

I would try to cover it up the best I could.

But of course, the more you try to cover it up, the more of a fool you end up making of yourself!

And the more you try to cover up your mistakes, your shortcomings, your insecurities, the farther and

farther you get from being the person you really are.

I remember the lyrics of a song by the band Pink Floyd...when I was in high school.

It seems like Pink Floyd was all I ever heard when I was in high school.

The song is called: “Comfortably Numb.”

At least I think that’s what it’s called.

Anyway the lyrics go like this:

“This is not who I am...I have become comfortably numb.”

I could always relate to those lyrics in a very personal and painful way.

But, thanks be to God, they mean nothing to me today!

They are just distant memories of a past life...

In our Scripture lesson for this morning, Paul says, “We are always confident....we live by faith and not by

sight....” and again he says, “We are confident.....”

Always confident?

Confident in what?

One thing the Bible tells us that we are to be confident in is that we have a house in heaven.