Editor’s note – Most of us quietly compare ourselves to whoever seems more capable, confident, or secure than we feel. She sets that ordinary insecurity beside Joseph, a slave and a prisoner who stood before Pharaoh without flinching. What follows traces where that kind of confidence actually comes from, and why it has nothing to do with our resume, our reputation, or the opinions of anyone in the room.
The Intimidation We All Feel
I’m fairly confident most of the time, but I imagine that I might feel intimidated if I were suddenly called for a personal face-to-face meeting with the highest-ranking person in the country. I may even feel intimidated if I had a meeting with the richest man in the world, or a genius whose intellect far exceeds mine.
I used to feel envious of tall, slender, and elegant women, as I’m short, cuddly, and always in a hurry when I walk. Short people can’t look elegant when they walk. Our steps are too short. We seem to run in our efforts to keep up with our taller, elegant friends. Why, I even felt envious of felines in the wild who seemed to move effortlessly with natural grace.
Imagine if you had no social standing, no position of note in society, and, to top it off, were a foreigner who doesn’t belong and is in prison. Now imagine that you are suddenly summoned to appear before the king. Intimidating, isn’t it? I don’t know how I would respond in such a situation. I’d probably run as fast and as far as I could in the opposite direction. I’d possibly regress to childhood and have a finger in my mouth while burying my big toe in the ground. How does one cope in such a situation?
Joseph’s Unlikely Confidence
I happen to know of someone who found himself in exactly this situation. You may have heard of him. His name was Joseph.
Joseph had no social standing. He was a foreigner, a slave, and a prisoner, but when he was summoned to Pharaoh, he didn’t cower. He spoke his mind and even offered ideas and solutions (Genesis 41:25-36). Talk about confidence! He didn’t allow his lack of social standing or position to diminish his view of himself. How did he do this?
Editor’s note – Notice what Joseph didn’t do in that throne room: he didn’t perform confidence or fake his way through it. He simply answered from a settled place, the kind we rarely reach by trying harder.
Where Confidence Doesn’t Come From
Joseph didn’t find his worth in fleeting things. He didn’t rely on other people’s opinions, as opinions change as quickly and as frequently as the weather. He didn’t base his confidence on his social standing, possessions, or qualifications. He couldn’t depend on his family name, fame, or fortune. Nobody knew who he was except for a few who had encountered him.
Editor’s note – Confidence rooted in God rather than performance is what later freed Joseph to forgive the brothers who sold him into slavery. Security and forgiveness turn out to be the same gift.
Where Joseph’s Confidence Came From
Joseph had confidence because he trusted in God. He found his identity in the One who created him. He understood who he was, who he belonged to, and who was in control of his life and destiny. God revealed the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams to him. It didn’t make him better than Pharaoh or anyone else, for that matter. It simply made him an instrument in God’s hands, and he was content to be in God’s hands.
His confidence wasn’t in his own ability. His confidence was in the One who created him, gave him a dream, a calling, a purpose, and a destiny in life. When our focus is beyond ourselves and our own abilities or lack thereof, we too may be as confident as Joseph. It’s precisely because he trusted in God that he could forgive his brothers for their deceit and betrayal (Genesis 45:3-8). He trusted God with his life, his future, his purpose, and his destiny. He was secure in his relationship with God.
Finding Your Confidence in Christ
If you have a relationship with God, just like Joseph, you too may find your confidence in your Heavenly Father and Creator. Are you aware that you are in Christ? If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, it’s your natural position. You are in Him just as He is in you, and in the Father (John 14:18-20).
How about you? How confident are you? Where does your confidence come from?
A Word from the Editor
Paul told the Philippians he could be content in any circumstance because he knew the One who strengthened him (Philippians 4:11-13). That’s the same confidence Joseph carried into Pharaoh’s court. If you belong to Christ, ask where you actually go looking for your worth today, then measure it against a God who already calls you His own.
Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words
Distributed by – BCWorldview.org
Editor Comment: God calls and equips rather than our status or self, and that is a truth every believer needs to hear again.
This article appeared on Medium and is reprinted with modifications and by permission.