Finding Confidence to Jump Into Life

I haven’t always had confidence and often let things intimidate me. As a result, I lacked the confidence to jump in and would sit out.

I remember when I was a kid, I wanted so much to learn to swim. I watched all the other kids jumping in the water and swimming around. They made it look so easy. They made it look like so much fun.

Easy and fun for them but scary for me. Every time during the car ride to the pool, I would have myself totally convinced that I would do it today. I would convince myself that I was going to run and jump in this time.

But there I sat on the side of the pool with my toes in, watching everyone else. Again.

So many times in my grown-up life, I still find myself sitting on the side watching everyone else. I want so bad to jump in, but I still spend time just like I did then sitting on the edge with just my toes in. Scared and unsure. Again.

Can you relate to sitting out things in life when you too lack the confidence to jump in?

For all of us toe dippers today, I have a word. “We can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Phillippians 4:13 (NKJV) https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%204%3A13&version=NKJV;NIV Really….. You can!… and I can!

I am so glad my God is understanding. He has sat with me so many times on the sidelines, waiting with me. Encouraging me telling me I can do my thing. That thing looks so easy for everyone else but so scary for me.

Our God is patient, and he has shown me repeatedly that he is a caring Father. He doesn’t get upset when our knees shake. He doesn’t get mad when we take baby steps when others around us run. Instead, he sits with his shy and unsure kids and holds our hands until we are ready to do all the scary life stuff.

I am learning that if I have in my mind and heart that I want to accomplish something, He is the reason. He is the one that put that desire way down deep in my heart, to begin with. And if he puts something in my mind to do for his glory, he will give me the ability and make it happen to go along with it.

I went to the pool one day like all those other days, but this one particular day would be different. The lifeguard, who was also my swim instructor, came over and sat down with me. First, he quietly talked to “just me.” Then, he told me, “You can do this.”

What made hearing it from him that day work, I don’t know. So many people from my own family and my friends all told me the same thing. But somehow, hearing it from him on this particular day was exactly what I needed.

In the water, I went. What a joyous day! And you know what, it was easy, and it was fun.

So all of you toe dippers like me today meet me. No matter what that pool looks like, we can swim that thing. Our Lifeguard named Jesus is standing ready to help us. He is waiting to encourage us and tell us, “We can do this.” So whatever your thing is and whatever mine is, let’s jump in together. Ready, set, go…..We got this thing. Do you know why? Because we have the best Lifeguard of all, and He has got us.