Sermon On Confidence

Norman Vincent Peale an American minister and author once remarked: “Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers, you cannot be successful or happy.” Psalm 139:13-14 reminds us: “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”

Confidence is defined as: “The feeling or belief that one can have faith in or rely on someone or something.” It primarily includes one’s own self-esteem and worth. Without it, a person is usually unable to tackle difficult tasks with any real hope of success. It displays strength of character and self-control. Romans 5:1-5 confirms: "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him, we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

For some, confidence in themselves can be noticeably lacking, which may well prevent advancement in their career or abilities. However, everybody is good at something, it is just a question of discovering it. We need to have faith in our own potential. We need to have faith in God. We should never criticize any failings, that only destroys belief and builds barriers. If we show a modicum of assertiveness and set goals in life, as each is achieved, so our confidence grows. Proverbs 3:5 states: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”

Music is an important aspect of our lives. There is a renowned verse: "If music be the food of love, play on." This musical metaphor originates from William Shakespeare's play: "Twelfth Night." Orsino, the Duke of Illyria is hopelessly in love. His constant rejection requires him to renounce love. He surmises: "Too much of a good thing can turn one against it." If this is true, then an excess of music might cure his obsession with love. Just as eating too much food can result in a severe loss of appetite, then overindulgence in anything may reduce the desire to continue with it. However, some might say that music can't strictly be related to food. They are distinct from each other. For food feeds and fuels bodily energy, whereas music feeds the mind and soul.

In an article supplied by: "The Odissean Experience," it has been suggested that: "Music gives a soul to the universe, winds to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." It is considered precious by most and can exert a powerful influence. Combined with its own individualistic beauty, it can produce amazing results and should not be subjected to restriction in any way, shape or form. It may be classical or contemporary, ethereal or powerful and rhythmic. It can be inspirational. If music leads to creativity, it can significantly increase one's self-confidence. There are many known and unknown reasons why music is beneficial to health. The following facts have been recognized: "It relaxes the body and mind, it reduces stress, it can help and relieve the symptoms of depression, it can help to ease pain and is certainly beneficial to the heart, as the blood supply is known to increase when music is played."

There was once a young boy who lived in a small semi-detached house in the suburbs of London. He loved music and regularly sat and listened to his father’s record collection and reel to reel tapes that he had purchased. His ambition in life was to learn to play an instrument. Music had a very special effect on him and often sent him into a world of his own. As a rule, he was an extremely reserved young boy who unjustly tended to lack confidence in himself. Although he was loved by both parents, they did not have the necessary income which would allow them to purchase and live in a larger house with more space. The house was quite cramped. His grandmother lived opposite a large park in the centre of London which contained its own bandstand and a boating lake. When he stayed with her as a youngster, she would regularly take him to the park and often gave him the personal choice of either going to the boating lake or listening to the military band that played every afternoon. He always chose to listen to the band.