Confidence Beyond the Checklist: Embracing Your God-Given Worth

Hey Friends,

Last week, we talked about relinquishing the taskmaster mentality and remembering who and whose we are. Today, I’d like to dig a little deeper into how the taskmaster mindset eats at your confidence and how to rebuild that confidence on a solid foundation.

Performance-based confidence is rooted in how well you measure up to standards set by others. This is where that taskmaster mentality comes into play. You find fulfillment and confidence by tying your worth to how much you accomplish and perform in every area of your life. However, this type of confidence is fleeting because, like happiness, it is based on your circumstances. And when you base your confidence on circumstances, it becomes easily shaken by failure or comparison. And I know I don’t have to tell you, but comparison is the thief of joy.

Then there’s God-based confidence. This type of confidence is grounded in the belief that our worth and value come from being made in God's image, not from our performance or external achievements. It’s rooted in faith, recognizing that God’s love and purpose for us are constant and unchanging, regardless of what we accomplish. This ties back to remembering how God has made us at all times.

Isaiah 41:10 says, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."This verse reminds us that our confidence doesn’t come from what we do or how well we perform, but from knowing that God is with us every step of the way. His strength, not our own, is the true foundation of lasting confidence.

As you know from the last blog post, there was a period in my life when most of my confidence was performance-based. It was before I truly learned who I was in God. And if I’m honest, there was a brief time when I was new to the faith that I still operated in that performative confidence. I had to dig deep to break free from that taskmaster mentality and performance-based confidence.

Here are some things that helped me:

1.     Focusing on gratitude: This sounds simple, but it can be hard when you're deep in performance-based confidence. You have to be intentional about giving thanks at all times, even when things don’t feel or look good.

2.     Redefining success: This, too, requires intention. We need to remember that checking off tasks doesn’t make us successful. True success is rooted in our calling and purpose, living each day with intention. Affirmations like, "Walking in my purpose makes me successful, not an endless to-do list," or "I will live a purpose-filled life that yields fruit, not an overly busy, fruitless life."

3.     Setting boundaries and resting: We all know this is hard. With boundaries, we often feel like we’re doing a disservice to others, but the reality is that we’re actually helping them by standing firm in who we are. Resting is essential. To recover from the taskmaster mentality, you must schedule rest—rest from the need to perform by doing nothing at all. Rest helps you remain confident in your true calling and eliminates the need to do everything.

Ultimately, embracing my identity in Christ helped me to truly walk in genuine confidence. Learning that His love for me isn’t based on what I do helped me stop performing to receive the approval of others. Leaning into God’s plan for my life also gave me true confidence. How can you not confidently walk in a plan where you ultimately win? Where the victory is always yours, no matter what?

Today, I hope you step out of performance-based confidence and into true God-defined confidence.

Let's Chat Soon!

The Light Coach ✨

HH 💚