True confidence begins with knowing whose you are

When Moses asked God who he should say had sent him, God simply replied: “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14).

It’s not an arrogant statement or a way of lording it over people. It is simply the truth. God is God. He knows exactly who he is. 

I often wonder what it would look like if we, as believers, carried just a little more of that quiet confidence. Not because we think we’re better than anyone else, but because we know whose we are. 

After all, we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). We are created in the image of our Maker. We are children of God. 

And yet the world makes us question that every single day. 

We hear the phrase, “Comparison is the thief of joy”, and it’s true. We compare ourselves physically, materially, spiritually, professionally, even mentally. Everywhere we look we’re being sold a version of what life should look like. On buses, in magazines, in social media reels, on television, on the radio and in shop windows. It’s a constant stream of messages telling us we need to be more, do more or look different.

Even after more than 23 years working in television and the media, I still find myself battling those thoughts. Which might surprise people because I also run confidence coaching workshops.

The truth is, confidence isn’t something I was born with. It’s something I’ve had to learn, develop and practise. I’ve had to confront the lies that tell me I’m not enough, that someone else is better, or that I don’t deserve to be where I am. I still have moments when comparison tries to steal my joy.

The difference now is that I recognise those lies more quickly, and I remind myself whose I am. 

When our daughter was little, we began speaking affirmations over her before she went to sleep. We don’t do it quite as regularly these days, but the poster above her bed is still there. It reads: “I am brave. I am strong. I am unique. I am enough. I am loved.”

I love the thought that, even while she sleeps, those words remain over her.

When we know the great “I AM”, we can live with confidence in who he created us to be.

I’m a firm believer in speaking positively over ourselves too. Science tells us that our brains have an incredible ability to change and grow throughout our lives. We can learn new habits and replace old ways of thinking that have never served us well.

During one of my online coaching sessions in lockdown, I found myself leading a room full of coaches through a series of affirmations. These were people preparing to encourage leaders and businesses to find their own confidence, but first they needed reminding of their own worth. Even through a computer screen, I could see the impact those simple words were having.

So today I’d love to leave you with the same invitation.

Read these slowly. Don’t rush. Notice which one makes your heart pause. Perhaps that’s the one God wants to whisper over you today. 

I am strong. 

I am brave.

I am lovable. 

I am worthy. 

I am trusted. 

I am courageous. 

I am curious. 

I am helpful. 

I am loved. 

I am unique. 

And finally, the one I always end with: 

I am enough, just the way I am. 

Because when we know the great “I AM”, we can live with confidence in who he created us to be.