By GARY ANDREWS
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Watching a version of “Cinderella” the other day I was reminded of a great quote; “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” What a tremendous saying. I often wonder how many of us in the world today let so many opportunities pass by us and we are so busy searching for the perfect fit that we miss what God intended us to do.
As in this story life sometimes treats us as if we are step children, by default on terms that weren’t accepted by love, and we allow others to treat us like they want to. We allow our self-confidence to be shaken and we tend to move away from our family, friends, and more importantly, our dreams.
We tend to look at what the world is telling us to do and let go of our passions. Many times we sink back into our inner shell and forget that this is a great big beautiful world that the Lord has given us. Some of the time this is caused by tragic events in our family or friends and we forget who is really in charge. Losing a loved one, being mistreated by people you trust, or making a change in your vocation can lead to doubts and inner fears that will cripple our attitudes and take us backwards.
The fear of embarrassing ourselves often keeps us from pursuing opportunities. Losing our self-confidence is one of the worse things that could ever happen to us. Losing sight of Who is really in control, and this is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, hurts us more than any human action possibly could.
The Bible speaks to us about confidence all through its pages but in Psalm 37:7 we are told, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;…”
How many of us really do this. How many times have you gone to the closet to pray and ask the Lord to help you alleviate your problems and then actually listen to Him. How many times have you intended to follow your heart’s desire, knowing the Lord is with you, and let the world change your mind and take away what you really needed to do.
As it was with Cinderella we have to regain our confidence in people around us, especially our family, friends, and dreams.  Even though this movie doesn’t mention God, all of us that are Christians realize that we have a hope for the future with Him. He doesn’t promise us a perfect world or a perfect life but He does promise us eternal life with Him when we leave this world behind. No other one or anything this world can come up with can give you that assurance.
Prayer: Thank you Lord Jesus for the assurance that you give me. Thank you for the confidence I can have through you. Amen.
(Suggested daily Bible reading: Sunday – 2 Corinthians 3:1-6; Monday – Psalm 138:1-3; Tuesday – Matthew 6:16-21; Wednesday – Job 42:1-6; Thursday – Ephesians 3:14-21; Friday – Lamentations 3:19-27; Saturday – James 1:2-8.)
Gary Andrews is the author of Encouraging Words: 30-days in God’s Word. To obtain a copy go to his website www.gadevotionals. com.