One of my readers commented:

I guess I'll be the first comment...

I personally struggle with self confidence and rarely ever believing in myself. I'm sure there are others out like me. Any thoughts of how to over come This? - GodGirl91

Confidence is such a multi-faceted thing in life. Much life a diamond or other gem that has so many little surfaces to reflect light off of.

This is probably why this chapter will have several different sections.

The Mask of Confidence

I recently decided to bear my heart to a girl that has been my friend for the bigger part of both of our lives. I wrote out all my feelings of insecurity, hopelessness, and all my deep inner thoughts, in a letter to her, and gave it to her to read. Quiet honestly, at first, I was not even certain that I would actually break down and give it to her. Just writing the letter had made me feel more freed up inside, emotionally. I didn't think her reading it would help much... but I was wrong.

To tell you a little thing about my friend, I remember she used to be crazy about masks. She also loves photography among other things. So she was often times taking photos of herself, looking very fancy and such, wearing a masquerade style mask. I remember times of secretly feeling envious of my dear best friend. She was so pretty. Held the attention of boys. Seemed so lively and outgoing and confident and so much more.

Not until just this year, did I discover the truth that was under the surface. The hidden secrets behind the "mask" of confidence.

My best friend struggled with insecurities from different situations. We were both bullied, but I think it hurt too much for either of us to confess it. Some people told her she should just go kill herself. She was at the bottom of her barrel. She couldn't see the need for her life. I praise God this didn't happen. She kept going on, mentioned something about me and our other friend writing letters to her and wanting her thoughts, advice, and just to be around her. It encouraged her. I never really knew.

So looking back now at the past, I can see things much more clearly. She used a literal mask and a not so literal one to cover her hurt and insecurities. While to me and others around us, she seemed confident. She was in fact... anything but that. Her mask gave her comfort, distracted from what was really going on, and gave her a façade of something that was not so true.

Confidence Is What You Make It

Going into doing something can be extremely stressful. No matter what it is, if you are putting yourself out there and stepping out of your comfort zone, it can be frightening. But don't think of it as something bad, think of it as a challenge to prove yourself. And you know what? If you don't do as well as you hope for or if you even utterly fail, think of it as finding a way to not do it. Learn from it. The misstep may need to be corrected, or just practice more. I know you may be thinking that this sounds easier than it is. Maybe that is the case. But you are loved and created fearfully and wonderfully by the God that made the universe. Don't you think that maybe there is a purpose for this time or occasion? Maybe you can't see it, but maybe someone else can. And it could be helping them more than you would ever dream.

Confidence is truly what you make it.

Self confidence can be a hard thing to achieve. But at it's very core it is believing in yourself. God believes in you right now, and the talents He weaved into your being when He first made you in your mother's womb.

It's not an easy feat, but you can do it. You can have confidence and be happy. We have an enemy if we claim Christ as our King. That enemy is known as the prince of darkness for a good reason, he lurks in the shadows and dark parts of our life's and hearts and just waits for the right moment to strike. He wants us to not believe in ourselves. In fact, I believe that it scares him. Because if we were to get confident we just might do something to mess with his kingdom of darkness and demons.

Pray for God to help you. Meekness is not a contradiction of confidence. Even though it might seem like it. By definition, meekness is, "the fact or condition of being meek; submissiveness." The example mentions someone making fun of a person for being meek. I think that really supports my stance here. Hold on you will see what I mean in just a moment.

Confidence led me to far more definitions just by searching for the word and definition. This is what came up.

"

the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust.

"we had every confidence in the staff"

synonyms: trust, belief, faith, credence, conviction

"I have little confidence in these figures"

antonyms: skepticism, distrust

•the state of feeling certain about the truth of something.

"it is not possible to say with confidence how much of the increase in sea levels is due to melting glaciers"

•a feeling of self-assurance arising from one's appreciation of one's own abilities or qualities.

"she's brimming with confidence"

synonyms: self-assurance, self-confidence, self-possession, assertiveness; More

poise, aplomb, phlegm;

courage, boldness, mettle, nerve

"she's brimming with confidence"

antonyms: uncertainty, doubt

•the telling of private matters or secrets with mutual trust.

"someone with whom you may raise your suspicions in confidence"

•a secret or private matter told to someone under a condition of trust.

plural noun: confidences

"the girls exchanged confidences about their parents"

synonyms: secret, confidentiality, intimacy

"the girls exchanged confidences"

"

The feeling that we can trust in someone, have faith, give them our secrets, feeling certain about a truth we know and feel. That's a brief run down of confidence.

Sometimes confidence is shown in meekness, being submissive to God, and confidence is mixed right in with that, because we are trusting him and are assured and know the truth in Him.

If we can't believe in ourselves, we need to ask God to let us see ourselves in His eyes.

I feel like if we try to do this we would think differently about everything, but most certainly ourselves.

Find your happiness in God and let Him lead you to the place where you are confident. And by confident, I mean happy in what path God has you on in the moment.

Does that mean you will always be happy and this super confident person? No, probably not. That's just plain honesty. As I mentioned earlier, we have an enemy that is out there like a roaming lion seeking whom he may destroy. If you have a week moment, he is likely to pounce on you. By best tidbit to leave you with is to just cling to God. Seek His face. Use the talents He instilled in you, work on them, build them, make them better, shine for God. Let others see your light. This isn't our home, dear brothers and sisters. It is just a temporary stop on the way to where we are going. We have to run this race with endurance and with a little help from others and God on high. We can make it. I just know it.

I believe in you. Now go show the world what God has done in you and the talents He bestowed on that sweet head of yours.