Confidence

As I was sitting in an office waiting on my husband the other day, I couldn't help but notice a headline topic on the front of a magazine:  "What's Sexy Now!  85 Secret Tricks to Head-Turning Confidence."  Well, being a senior adult woman who likes to think she may still have something sexy about her, even if it is the polish on my toes, I had to look inside.  After all, do we ladies ever get too old to want to turn a few heads from time to time?  And besides, I'm doing research for my blog, right?

Well, in reality, I was really not expecting to find the most wholesome information inside this magazine, and was not disappointed.  Let me list for you a few of the 85 things on your must-have sexy checklist:

• Strappy heels (Amiclubwear)
• Sheer dress (to be fair, they did state in fine print that you might want to consider getting a slip for this dress)
• Short skirt
• Dress or top with a low back (actually, the picture was more like NO back).

So, with this enlightened take on "Sexy Confidence," I must admit that for most women with whom I spend time, the wearing of these five items would totally destroy what confidence we might have managed to hold over after rearing teenagers.  For a very humorous image, try to imagine a bunch of over 60 women tottering around in strappy stilettos, wondering how to hide the varicose veins while wearing that short skirt.  For me, that's enough imagery to keep me laughing for some time without even thinking about the see-through dress with no back.

Since it is obvious I will not benefit from "head-turning sexy confidence" following these suggestions, let me share with you three examples of what the Word says about confidence, then how God's special lady can demonstrate His confidence.

In 2 Kings and in 2 Chronicles, we find King Hezekiah being challenged by the King of a powerful opposing nation with a question we need to ask ourselves today:  "On what are you basing this confidence of yours?"

Hezekiah gave his answer as he addressed his fearful citizens:  "'Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or discouraged because...there is a greater power with us...The Lord our God is with us to help us and to fight our battles.'"  And the people gained confidence."  (2 Chronicles 32:8)

The prophet Jeremiah wrote as recorded in verse 7 of chapter 17:  "But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him."

Of course we could never leave out God's amazing servant Paul and what he had to say about this.  In Phillippians 3:3 he said, "We boast in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh."  Then in 2:24 of that same book he summed it up by saying, "I am confident in the Lord!"

Summary?  Godly confidence does not come from shoes or clothes.

Lastly, from the immortal words of Erma Bombeck:

Here's my morning ritual.  I open a sleepy eye, take one horrified look at my reflection in the mirror and then repeat with conviction:  "I'm me and I'm wonderful.  Because God doesn't make junk."

It is true that how we dress and appear in public relays to others our level of self-confidence but I'm saving that topic for another day.  But ladies, let me ask you.  On what are you basing this confidence of yours?  Is it on what you wear, whether your makeup is on or not, how you perceive someone else feels about you?  Or is your confidence in the Lord?

Whose mirror are you looking into?  Our culture's or our Creator's?

Walk with real confidence my sister "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."  (Philippians 1:6)  You are God's Special Lady!