Faith can be compared to confidence. Everybody needs confidence to be happy and at peace. The question is: Where do you get your confidence from? Are you naturally peaceful and confident because of the happy, loving home environment your parents provided for you growing up? If not, do you get your confidence by taking drugs or alcohol, or from any of the other forms of behavior that give you a false sense of adequacy? This can be a difficult question to answer because so often we gravitate toward behaviors, almost unconsciously, without realizing what we are getting ourselves into. Over time the behaviors become habits in our lives, and often increase in the amount we allow ourselves to be controlled by them. Eventually these behaviors can cost us our relationships, our jobs, and sometimes even our lives. That is why it is important to periodically assess our lives to see if we are slipping into negative ways of living. Today, let us take an honest look at our lives to see how we are doing. (Sometimes it is helpful to speak with a trusted friend or other esteemed individual to ask them if they see something in our lives that may be hindering us from becoming all we are destined to be. Often we don't see ourselves, but we can easily pick-up on the behavior of others.) Are you willing to take an honest look today? Let us stop now to share with one another any habits we feel we are using (or abusing) that lead us away from authentic peace and confidence.

In what way do you feel confidence is demonstrated?

As we have already mentioned, we need confidence to be happy in life. In what ways do you feel confident? And in what ways do you feel you could improve your confidence?

At this time, let us compare self-confidence with God-confidence, or faith. To the extent your self-confidence has developed will determine the degree of peace you will have in the midst of stressful life situations. Do you think you could ever develop enough self-confidence to be able to cope easily in any given circumstance of life?

The answer we may come up with could be No. It is at this point that faith comes in and gives us the remaining confidence we need to cope easily during life's sometimes brutal circumstances. Faith enables you to say, "I don't care. God, I give you this problem. I believe you want me to be happy and at peace at all times, but right now I feel my peace slipping away from me and so I gladly hand this problem over to you. Thank you for being their and showing me the answers I need in due time. I believe nothing is too difficult for you to resolve and I'm glad I know you." Do you have this kind of relationship with God?

How does one develop this kind of God-consciousness? Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." This scripture implies that the more we hear God's Word, the greater our level of faith will be. What are some of the ways a person could take in the Word of God?

- Reading it

- Studying it with the aid of study helps (many Bibles containing study helps)

- memorizing it

- speaking it

- listening to it taught by Bible teachers on cassette tapes, VCR tapes, VCD's, DVD's, websites
  containing the messages from highly esteemed Bible teachers and preachers.

- By attending a church service

- Attending a mid-week Bible study

- Attending a retreat weekend or Bible conference

May something we've talked about here inspire you to develop your own personal faith.