Confidence vs. Courage

Many people think confidence and courage are the same thing or that self-confidence must come first, which then fuels our courage. But indeed, it’s exactly the opposite.

Confidence is a belief in our own abilities, qualities, or traits. It’s the feeling of self-assurance and trust in ourselves that makes us hold our heads high and live without fear of judgment or failure, because we believe in who we are. Confidence is often the result of experience, wisdom, and knowledge we’ve gained and success in past undertakings.

Courage, on the other hand, is the ability to face fear, danger, or uncertainty with bravery and determination. It’s the willingness to take chances and to act despite fear or adversity and despite how many unknowns lie ahead. Courage involves overcoming obstacles each time they roll into our paths, and it requires a certain level of strength and resilience. Courage opens the door for you to be an active participant in living your life to the fullest as it is, while working hard to improve it.

To sum it up, confidence is believing in ourselves and what we are capable of in Christ, and courage is the ability to act on what we want to do because we believe in ourselves. We can build confidence through experience and success, while courage often requires wandering outside of our comfort zones and being willing to take the risks we feel God is calling us to take.

Scripture provides many examples of courageous men and women who achieved amazing things—not because they didn’t feel scared, frustrated, ill equipped, or unworthy but because they believed God was who He said He was and they put their future in His hands.

Esther serves as a great example of someone moving forward fearlessly in courage and confidence because of her faith alone.

She was a young Jewish woman living in Persia who found favor with the king, then became queen, and then risked her life to save the Jewish people from destruction after a court official manipulated the king into authorizing their demise. She was asked by her cousin Mordecai to go to the king and beg him to save her people. At that time, approaching the king without an invitation was a crime punishable by death, but from somewhere deep down inside, she mustered up the holy courage and confidence to do exactly that.

She had her cousin’s support and encouragement, and he told her, “If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” (Est. 4:14).

Esther had to choose to walk into the unknown, regardless of how things turned out, and her actions had an impact not only on her future but also on countless others’. Her twenty seconds of courage in talking to the king saved her people and made history.

Moses had to face his fears and insecurities when he heard God’s command to rescue His people from Egypt and lead them to the Promised Land. He even questioned God’s plan in Exodus 3:11–12:

Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”

God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”

Moses had to have confidence in who God was so he could unearth the courage to do as God asked. His bravery inspired the Jews to follow him out of slavery and experience the parting of the Red Sea. One small act of courage made history.

Think about David in 1 Samuel, where the Israelites and Philistines were at war, keeping in mind David wasn’t even a part of the army and certainly wasn’t a trained soldier. He was present only because his father, Jesse, had asked him to deliver supplies to his older brothers and return with an update on how the battle was going.

All the big and mighty soldiers fled and cowered at the size of their enemy, Goliath, who was “six cubits and a span” (17:4 NIV), which is approximately nine feet, nine inches tall. But David had the courage to stand up and fight. Despite Saul taunting David and telling him he was too young to fight in battle, much less take on Goliath, he did it anyway.

David knew something the soldiers didn’t. His confidence, strength, and courage came from God, not himself. He had confidence in his skills; however, he knew that the true source of his courage to do what seemed impossible was his faith, and that small, faith-fueled act of courage made history.

All three of these examples have important aspects in common. First, each of them had to draw on a courage beyond themselves to do the hard things God put in front of them. Second, regardless of their fears, insecurities, and objections, and even at the risk of their lives, each of them showed bravery and chose to act. They chose to move forward into whatever the future held for them because they trusted their God, and as a result, they were filled with holy confidence and courage. And third, each of them had to move out of their comfort zone.

Moving out of our comfort zone—especially in a difficult season—can seem harder than anything else. But our comfort zone is a place where spirits get crushed. A place where dreams and visions die. A place where joy can become stifled. A place where hopelessness about the future and disappointment about the past and present can take root. A place that can paralyze us if we let it.

Our comfort zone is a dangerous place that can keep us from being all we can be, doing all we can do, and enjoying the blessings God has in store for us. But that doesn’t have to be my fate or yours. We can have the courage to cross over into our new reality, accept change, and trust that God is leading us into new territories and adventures.

Choosing to be brave, or at least being willing to muster up twenty seconds of insane courage like I already mentioned, can make a world of difference. Once we take those brave, fearless steps, our confidence begins to grow, and life will change. We will change too, from the inside out, as we shift our perspectives about new beginnings, whether we wanted them to happen or not. God is always with you, and He will show you the way.

Like Esther, you were made for such a time as this. God placed you in this unfamiliar season or period of transition for a reason; it’s not just somewhere you randomly ended up. You are about to do incredible things with your bravery, maybe even make history.

Like Moses, you may feel unqualified to tackle the unknowns of the future. You may feel incapable of doing hard things, taking chances, and trusting God to show you the way. You may feel small, insignificant, and ill equipped. But God is always with you, and He will show you the way.

And like David, maybe you’re in a spot you never thought you would be in. A place you don’t think you even belong, but here you are. With a dream to do something amazing. A vision to do something beyond your wildest dreams. A desire to make a difference in the world in whatever way God has placed on your heart. You’ve entered a massive restructuring phase, and you’re putting the pen to a blank piece of paper, ready to map out your next adventure. God has you right where you’re supposed to be, and He will give you the courage and confidence to make headway—but first you must start making things happen.

Diana Ross is a great example of this. She was an American singer and actress who rose to fame as the lead singer of the Supremes, which eventually became Motown’s most successful act and the bestselling female vocal group during the 1960s. Most people don’t know she had some of that insane courage I’ve been talking about. All odds were against her, but she knew what it would take to make her dreams come true—and she did it. What did she do? She set goals and pursued them. She had a vision of what she wanted, and she never let herself lose sight of it. She didn’t give up. She turned her fantasies into realities. Now almost eighty years old, Diana has accomplished more than she ever dreamed. In fact, she made history too.

Diana once said, “You can’t just sit there and wait for people to give you that golden dream, you’ve got to get out there and make it happen for yourself.” So true!

This is your time to choose to start making your dreams happen. Your time to move forward, face your biggest fears, accept where God has you, allow yourself to dream, embrace the new season you’re embarking on, and start making things happen. Over time, you’ll see your fantasies begin morphing into realities too.

Sometimes one simple act or just twenty seconds of faith-fueled courage can catapult you into the new beginning you’ve been longing for. Choose the life you want, and run in that direction. Don’t settle for anything less. And remember, God’s got you and you’re going to be okay.

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Excerpted from God’s Got You © 2024 by Tracie Miles. Used by permission of David C Cook. May not be further reproduced. All rights reserved.