06/09/2026
โ๏ธ Happy Sunday, JOY! Family! โค๏ธ
As we pause and prepare our hearts for a new week, letโs remember that our identity is not shaped by our failures, our disappointments, or what others say about us. We are who God says we are.
๐๐ข๐ช ๐ง๐ข ๐ฅ๐๐๐จ๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐
Written by Gillian Fraser
Confidence can be damaged by rejection, disappointment, failure, criticism, or simply a long season of feeling overlooked. You may begin to question your judgement, compare yourself with others, or hold back from things you once approached with courage. But what happened to you does not have the authority to define you. Your identity is not found in your worst moment, another personโs opinion, or a door that closed. It is found in Christ.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ
You are not an accident, a disappointment, or an afterthought. You were created by God and are fully known by Him. David wrote, โI will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully madeโ (Psa 139:14). God knows every part of your story, including the places where you feel weak, ashamed, or unsure. Nothing about you is hidden from Him, yet His love has not changed. โI have loved you with an everlasting loveโ (Jer 31:3).
๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฝ ๐น๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐ป๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐
A painful experience can quickly become a label. You failed, so you call yourself a failure. You were rejected, so you believe you are unwanted. You were criticised, so you assume you have nothing valuable to offer. These conclusions may feel true, but they are not the truth. Your confidence begins to heal when you separate what happened from who you are. You may have been wounded, but you are still Godโs child. You may have made mistakes, but you are still being restored.
๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐๐๐ต ๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ฑ
You do not need to pretend that you are fine. God is not asking you to perform strength in His presence. He invites you to be honest. โPour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for usโ (Psa 62:8). Tell Him what hurt you. Tell Him where you lost courage. Tell Him what you are afraid to try again. Prayer is not the place where you hide your weakness. It is where you discover that His strength is greater than it.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ
Sometimes confidence is shaken because we made a poor choice. There may be something to learn, repair, or change. Ask God for wisdom, but do not punish yourself after He has forgiven you. Conviction is clear and leads you back to God. Condemnation is heavy and leaves you feeling hopeless. โThere is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesusโ (Rom 8:1). You can take responsibility without carrying shame.
๐ง๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฝ
Confidence often returns after obedience begins. Do not wait until you feel completely ready. Apply for the position. Start the project. Have the conversation. Use the gift God has placed in you. When Joshua faced a task far bigger than himself, God said, โBe strong and of good courage ... for the Lord your God is with you wherever you goโ (Josh 1:9). He gives wisdom, courage, grace, and strength for what He places before you. โI can do all things through Christ who strengthens meโ (Phil 4:13).
๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐บ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐๐ป๐ฒ๐๐
You can be confident in your faith because Jesus is faithful. You can be confident in who you are because you belong to Him. You can be confident in your witness because the Holy Spirit lives within you. You are intimately known, deeply loved, and precious in Godโs sight. Your life still carries purpose. Your gifts are still there. God is still working in you, and He will be faithful to complete what He has begun.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ณ - ๐๐ผ๐ฑโ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐๐๐ต, ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐?
Rejection, failure, criticism and disappointment can leave deep marks on our confidence. But they do not get to define who we are. Our identity is found in Christ. โค๏ธ
๐ Read this encouraging article in the September issue of JOY! Magazine and discover how to rebuild your confidence, silence shame, and step forward in the identity God has given you...