Over the years I’ve learned through a lot of trial and error what helps me to speak with the most confidence.
There are many factors that come into play when it comes to speaking with confidence, but there is only one that I highly esteem: knowledge.
Think about it. What questions do you love to answer? In my experience, I’ve found that most people love to answer questions regarding subjects in which they are very knowledgeable. Even people who are presumed to be quiet or shy typically enjoy speaking out when they are knowledgeable.
On the other hand, I’ve witnessed people, myself included, squirm with the greatest discomfort when having to say anything regarding a subject in which they are ignorant.
The Bible teaches us in 1 Peter 3:15,
15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
Always being ready to make a defense means that I have to always be ready with answers to questions that people ask me about my great hope, which is to say, my faith in Jesus.
There was a time in my life when I hated for people to ask me about my faith. I wasn’t ashamed of my faith, but I had a very hard time telling people why I believed what I believed. Why? Simply put, I didn’t know the Bible.
Happily for me, there was a simple, if not entirely easy, solution to my discomfort. I had to get familiar with the Bible. Today, I wouldn’t dare boast that I “know the Bible,” but I do know my way around the Bible and if I don’t know an answer to a question, I know how to find an answer.
Every once in a while, I hear someone say, regarding any topic, “That’s a hard question.” Let me encourage you to reject the idea that there are hard questions.
No question is hard that you know the answer to. Does this mean that we can know everything? Of course not. There are many things that are impossible to know. But knowing that some things can’t be known is knowledge in and of itself.
Let me encourage you even more. We are not called to the answers to everything; We are called to know why we have put our hope in Jesus and the answer to that is crystal clear.
When you gain knowledge, you’ll gain confidence. When you gain confidence, you’ll gladly share what you know. What you know, or rather, who you know, has the ability to save lost souls.
Much love!
Wes LeFlore (918) 607-8489 or huskerwes1@gmail.com
