WEEK 37 – DAY 4

CONFIDENCE IN CHRIST ALONE

For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh. Philippians 3:3)

You may remember the scene from The Sound of Music when Maria is on her way to her first meeting with Captain Von Trapp and his children. She’s swinging her guitar and singing about confidence. She concludes, “I have confidence in me.” Then, after a moment of hesitation, she musters up her courage, rings the doorbell, and mistakes the butler for Captain Von Trapp! Sometimes we try to pep talk our way into being more self-confident.  However, it would be far better to remember that we need to be Christ-confident. He is not only the sole source of our salvation, but He is also the supplier of our strength for each day. Any accomplishment the world would attribute to us must be an opportunity to give glory to Jesus. The power we need to live righteously must come from Him. Our flesh is weak (Susan says, “Oh boy, is it!), and we often fail to reach the mark. Praise the Lord we don’t need to be confident in our own strength, the power of our own earth-suits. We must learn to depend upon the power of the Holy Spirit within us and not to trust our own abilities. We must remember that it is God who “circumcises” our hearts, who cuts out the rottenness and replaces it with His love.  We are not able to give ourselves a makeover and be instantly like Christ. God works in us and causes us over time “to be conformed to the likeness of His Son” (Romans 8:29). It is a process, a journey.

Father, we put our trust in You daily because we know we cannot trust ourselves. Help us to remember that any ability we have is a gift from You and not a reason for pride. Help us to recall that nothing we have or can do measures up to Your standard of righteousness. Thank You for the righteousness You have given us through faith in Jesus Christ. Remind us daily to put our confidence in Him alone.