Some time ago, our Nana was staying with us and got a pretty severe cold. It was one of those ones where you get the hot and cold flashes with the head and body aches. She was miserable.

Well, word got around, and one of our friends told us about an old wives’ remedy that required an onion. She said, “If you put an onion in her room, it will really help. It attracts bacteria, and she will be better in no time.”

After talking about it for five minutes, my wife and I decided to try it. As I walked into her room with the onion, she said, “There’s the man of God! I really want you to pray for me.” So, with onion in hand, I prayed for her. 

And when I got done praying, I said, “Nana, I want to put an onion in your room. It will help you get better.” To which she responded, “Okay, whatever!”

The following day, I woke up and checked on her, but there was no real change. So, I threw away the onion and went to work. 

Later that day, she was up and around and doing better. So naturally, I said to myself, “Looks like that onion worked!” Because we pastors should always have confidence in onions, right? 

When I got home and talked to Nana, the first thing she said to me was, “Zac! You prayed for me, and the Lord healed me. Thank you!”

I was more than a little embarrassed for being such an idiot. Here I was thinking it was the onion when I should have had more confidence in God. 

Here’s my point. 

What you put your confidence in matters.

Don’t be like me and put your confidence in stupid things. 

Here’s what you should do.

1. Put your confidence in God and not the things of this world.

Hebrews 10:35 says, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.”

Here’s the truth. When you put your confidence in anything else but God, it’s like throwing it away. 

Let me ask you, where’s your confidence right now? What or who are you relying on to see you through the difficult challenges you are facing?

Have you fallen for the lie that other things, like onions, will see you through the sickness? It’s time for a change.

God promises that if you put your confidence in him, it will be richly rewarded. 

2. When you’re confident in God, you’re content.

You struggle with being discontent in life because you’re putting your confidence in the wrong things.

In Philippians 4:12-13, the Apostle Paul gives us a lesson on contentment. He said, “I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

Do you want to know what Paul’s secret of contentment was? It was the strength of Christ. 

He understood something that we desperately need to grasp. Contentment doesn’t come from making up remedies with our own strength.

Contentment comes by having confidence in the strength of Christ. 

He has to be the source of our confidence. Whether we have a little in life or a lot. 

As the scriptures say, “true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.” (1 Timothy 6:6)

If we want to rest in contentment, we need to have confidence in God.

3. When you’re confident in God, you’re stable.

Some of the most unstable people in the world are golfers. One minute they’re thinking about playing professional golf. And the next minute, they’re cursing the inventor of the little white ball.

We’re like that a lot in life, aren’t we? One minute things are going great, and we’re someone people love to be around. And the next, we’re hell on wheels, and everyone scatters. 

If you want more stability in life, you MUST put your confidence in God. It calms you down. 

It’s then we learn that the “God who takes care of you will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

We’re often unstable when we think we’re the supplier of our needs. When in all actuality, it’s God.

Remember this: When I’m confident in God I’m content in every circumstance. When I’m content I’m stable because of the strength of Christ.

Think It Over:

• What foolish onion-type thing are you placing your confidence in right now?
• What steps can you take to put your confidence in God?

Verse of the Day:

 “I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:12-13