While reading an article on the need for lineman to build, maintain, and repair our electrical grid infrastructure, I did a double take at a quote from a lineman for a need for confidence and humility while being a lineman. All sorts of questions arose in my mind.
Is it possible to have both confidence and humility? If so, is it desirable or useful? Why do we think them antithetical?
Oxford Languages:
Confidence- the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something, firm trust; the state of feeling certain about the truth of something; a feeling of self-assurance arising from one’s appreciation of one’s own abilities or qualities
Humility- a modest or low view of one’s own importance; humbleness
If you are paying attention, you immediately see the assumed antithesis between these two concepts. On the one hand, “a feeling of self-assurance…”, while on the other hand, “a modest or low view of one’s own importance.” It seems that we have our answer: These concepts are mutually exclusive.
Not so fast! There is another contradiction, or at least variance, that must be reckoned with. In dictionary definitions, there are different entries (1,2,3… and so forth) representing different uses and connotations of the word. I have clumped the three main entries for confidence into one definition, separated by semi-colons (2). In all three entries for confidence, there is “someone”, “something”, or “self” trusted or believed. If that someone trusted is self, then it is hard to be simultaneously humble. Though the two words aim for different goals, namely “abilities or qualities” as opposed to “one’s own importance”, a high view of abilities and qualities does not particularly co-exist with a low view of one’s own importance.
However, if the something or someone being relied upon, trusted or believed, is outside of oneself, confidence and humility may co-exist and thrive. The best, most reliable object of trust is God the Creator and Savior.
Paul, in comparing believers with false teachers, contrasts the two by saying that believers “put no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3). Or least ways we should not, because when we do it means we are trusting self rather than God. By denying God, we are denying that “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” (James 1:17) We should be humble, “so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other. For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (1 Corinthians 4:6b-7) Our abilities and qualities are all gifts from God. There is no place for us to be self-confident. However, we may be confident in God’s gifting and enabling while being humble since none of it comes from us.
In fact, our confidence in our God-given abilities is an acknowledgement of the greatness of the Giver. Acknowledgement of His gifts may also be a demonstration of humility, as we continually point to His gracious gifting and enabling. From the lineman’s point of view, the humility can keep us safe, while the confidence can enable us to complete our tasks well. Before God, that is how I want to live my life and fulfill my purpose.
- https://www.bing.com/search?q=confidence+definition&form=ANNTH1&refig=08ac3596b2d0443f8e9270eb877d7249&pc=HCTS&pqlth=10&assgl=21&sgcn=confidence+definition&smvpcn=0&swbcn=10&cvid=08ac3596b2d0443f8e9270eb877d7249&kpratsg=1&hsmssg=0
- The words are quoted accurately but not in the exact framework of numbered bulleting.
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