Jesus Was Confident AND Humble: It’s Not a Contradiction

Humility is another aspect of Jesus’s character that is often misunderstood.

We often assume that to have humility, we have to think very little of ourselves. We’ve picked up the idea that thinking we’re worthless to God and others is the Christian thing to do, so we duck compliments and say things like, “I’m just a sinner saved by grace.”

The problem is we misunderstand Romans 12:3. Although it does warn us to “not think of [ourselves] more highly than [we] ought,” it’s speaking about our ability, not our worth.

It’s true that we shouldn’t exaggerate our ability. Don’t tell a group of rookie mountain climbers you can lead them on an expedition if you’ve never climbed a rock. That kind of over-inflated confidence could get you and everyone else killed! We need to be honest about what we can and can’t do, but at the same time, God doesn’t have a problem with good self-worth.

In fact, God wants you to think you’re awesome! After all, he created you! If you’re worried about becoming prideful or arrogant, there are just two things you have to remember. First, give God all the credit. Second, make sure you always think of others as even greater than yourself. When you do these two things, there will be no room for arrogance or pride in you.

God doesn’t want us to think we’re worthless. That doesn’t please him. God wants you to realize that with him, you have tremendous potential. You can learn, grow and become the very best you can be!

Believing you are capable of anything God asks you to do is not pride; it’s faith. And the truth is that this confidence, which stems from who you are in Christ, is incredibly attractive to others. Jesus had this confidence. He was full of power and wisdom, and he taught profound spiritual truths. Yet Jesus did all this in a way that was contemporary in regard to the culture and times in which he lived. He was culturally relevant and filled with Holy Spirit’s power, and people flocked to him.

When we act more like this Jesus—the strong, confident, fully-reliant-on-God Jesus—it has a profound effect on the people around us. We start speaking and acting in a way that reveals the heart of Jesus, and people fall in love with the Jesus they see in us.

Live this Jesus life

Some people have a false notion of the Christian life based on misbeliefs about the character of Jesus. The truth is Jesus’s life was anything but boring and safe. He was a strong, courageous, confident leader who followed his Father’s will instantly and completely. In the same way, this edgy, relevant, Spirit Contemporary, favor-with-God-and-favor-with-man life he’s calling us to live is filled with adrenaline and adventure.

It’s also filled with significance. Fulfilling Jesus’s purpose for our lives is the most important thing we can do on this planet. It’s absolutely incredible to think that our actions actually help to determine how many people make heaven their home for eternity.

Don’t ever forget that you are included in this mission. This grand, phenomenal purpose for your life is real, and when it comes to the big picture, you play a vital role!

God’s plans for you are absolutely huge—greater than you can imagine. According to Psalm 139:13, God formed every aspect of your being. He placed gifts and abilities inside you so you could achieve amazing things in this lifetime. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9, nlt) and God is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20)!

Jesus wants you to live a big life!

Be bold and be yourself, like Jesus. Live an amazingly huge life, filled with adventure and significance. After all, Jesus came to give you this kind of life. He said, “I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)” (John 10:10, amp). 

As you keep listening to him and serving others with the gifts and abilities he has placed in you, you can discover this life—what I like to call the Spirit Contemporary life—the life he died to give you.

All scripture references are NIV unless otherwise stated.