Confidence

Confidence in ourselves is inseparably connected to our confidence in our Savior. “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded” says Nephi. Nephi had huge confidence in the Savior, therefore, great confidence in himself. You know those people who aren’t afraid to stand up for something that’s right, even if all they’re friends are doing it or they don’t even see anything wrong with it. If it’s not aligned with God’s commandments, it’s not right and we shouldn’t do it. And that is how we can gain confidence in ourselves.

Align your priorities with God.

Often times, our desire to feel loved, accepted, and confident far exceeds our desire to follow the spirit. There are A LOT of people who try and find confidence by swearing, bad movies, kissing, dressing immodestly, inappropriate jokes, etc. They do these around their friends because their friends will laugh, and it feels good to be funny. But in the long run, it only destroys the spirit that is within you, and sometimes we don’t even know. (now I'm not accusing the reader of these things, I'm definitely guilty for several of those things)

But, I know that in my own life, when my priorities aren’t aligned with God and I do not have the spirit in my life, I am more likely to make decisions I would normally never choose. It’s when those opportunities come up, and it just sounds like so much fun, and it doesn’t really matter because I’m eighteen years old, and I won’t do anything bad, and it’s just this one time… why wouldn’t I?  It doesn’t come down to the idea that you didn’t get in trouble, it’s the idea that you’ve basically blocked out the spirit. When the time comes around that you’re asking Heavenly Father for an answer or to help relieve you from a trial, those earplugs you put in will still be debilitating your ability to hear the spirit. It’s easy to compromise these acts, YOLO, right? 

You can still be young, crazy, spontaneous, and even a little bit daring but still stay within the lines of safety, purity and integrity. We should never compromise our values for something of temporary fun.  

 “Every act, good or bad, has a consequence. Every good act improves our ability to do good and more firmly stand against sin or failure. Every transgression, regardless of how minor, makes us more susceptible to Satan’s influence the next time he tempts us.”- Richard Edgley

Whether it's a broken heart, a disappointment, failing at something, being shut down or stood up, lose a close friend, or just feel... alone we all need a little more confidence!!! We can always find confidence in ourselves because the savior's confidence in us is always there, and that's all we need!!! Let thy confidence wax strong!