It’s hard to swallow the idea of not putting any confidence in self. Why? 
Because certainly we live in a culture that has trained us to be our best, do our best, and believe in OUR best. And, as Christian women, all of us really WANT to be our best for Christ…so to stop and reflect on putting aside all of my BEST, in exchange for His Life in me…seems foreign.
Don’t get me wrong here…I do not think, like Paul, that I have a bunch of stuff to be amazed at. Truth is, I am surprised if God uses me at all. But, still, there is a trust in certain things about my SELF, that have to be daily laid aside, IF I am ever going to truly experience the Life and Power of Christ at work in and through me. Paul takes us there in Philippians, after telling us to REJOICE, he tells us to stop putting confidence in ourselves, our stuff, our ways, our educations, our own good ideas…you fill in the blanks for your own life.
Philippians 3:3-9
“For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh…though I myself have reasons for such confidence.
If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared ot the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes fromt he law, but htat which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”
We, as Christians, are to put no confidence in the flesh. Period.
Are you being stripped and challenged by trials in life? I am sorry that you are and I know that trials and life happenings truly hurt. But, I encourage you dear sister to realize that the stripping may be necessary, as you learn to turn from any confidence in self and what you can bring to the table. Yes, God will use your gifts…they are His any way…And, Yes, God will use all the things that make you who you are…He created you, didn’t He? But, He wants us to trust His power in and through us, rather than trusting any thing that we can do in human strength. He takes our human ability and infuses it with Holy Spirit power and annointing and makes something of eternal value and purpose.
Our part? Lay self aside, come to Him, ask to be filled with His power, say Yes to God and do the next thing He calls you to do…regardless of human ability.
Well, I am heading back to the hospital today for some more tests on my heart. The physical aspect of my life has been stripped over and over the past 5 years. It has been grievous, discouraging and depressing at times. But, I tell you the truth, as I have been trained through these trials to LOOK UP to Him, I have been changing. Radically changing. And, I tell you the truth, while I now have much less confidence in my flesh, I have a joyful expectancy in My God.
Let’s make Jesus famous in this world, by laying self aside and walking in His Power!
loving you today,
Debbie
thanks debbie.