• Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Collaborate
  • Blog
  • Parties
    • Children’s Parties Ideas
    • Holiday Parties
    • Adult Party Ideas
  • Holiday Ideas
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Fourth of July
    • Spring
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Seasons
    • Winter
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Autumn
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Desserts
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
  • Project Gallery
    • Crafts
    • Decorating
    • DIY
    • Good Ideas
    • Tutorials
  • Shop My Home
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

  • Book
  • Speaking
  • Meet Vanessa
    • Featured

July 11, 2016

Pride and Confidence

On a regular old weeknight not too long ago, my family and I discovered a new-to-us music channel. ‘Party Favorites’ is the perfect blend of older and newer songs that make you want to get off of the couch and shake your groove thang.

Somewhere between ‘YMCA’ and ‘Getting Jiggy With It’ my daughter and I realized that we were the only two left in the family room dancing our hearts out. I’m pretty sure my husband and son just gave up because our sweet moves were simply too impressive for them to handle. Or they were ashamed of us. Either way, my girl and I continued to shimmy and shake around the room. I was so proud of the fact that she had mastered ‘the sprinkler’ and she was thrilled when I tried to teach her the running man. Tried being the operative word there.

hydrangeas in wicker vase holder

 

As I boogied around the room, my daughter said to me, “Hey mommy, let’s go dance in front of the mirror so we can see how we look.”

I laughingly replied, “I’m not sure I want to see what I look like when I’m dancing!”

My girl stopped mid-groove and looked at me with the most perplexed expression. “You don’t want to see how you look? I ALWAYS watch myself in the mirror while I’m dancing!” She was absolutely baffled.

I chuckled and then indulged her for a few minutes by pulling out all of the stops and showing off my best moves. There may have even been some MC Hammer style going on folks!

Later that night as I relayed her comment to my husband (and he bemoaned the fact that he had missed seeing my awesome dance skills reflected in the mirror) I couldn’t help but thinking about the absolute honesty with which my daughter told me that she always watches herself dance. She was just so matter-of-fact about it. She had no sense of embarrassment at all. She was completely self-confident. I, on the other hand, would never freely dance in front of a mirror unless it was in my family room and my 8 year old daughter was begging me. And, even then, it’s only going to happen for about a minute. Sure, I’m happy to dance around the room, but watch myself doing it in the mirror? No…nope…uh uh. I’m too self-conscious, too aware, too jiggly in places where I don’t want to be jiggly.

And you better believe that even if I did feel comfortable dancing in front of a mirror I wouldn’t admit it quite so confidently.

wildflowers in white pitcher

I started to wonder if I’ve ever felt that kind of freedom that my daughter feels. And, if I did, when did it stop?

Finding freedom in who we are as women is a lifelong journey isn’t it? And I believe that finding freedom is very much intertwined with being confident in who we are. As a “good” Christian girl, I’ve spent most of my life trying really hard to not be too confident in who I am. Because, to me, confidence was pretty much the same as pride.

Somewhere along the way,  I think that the line between confidence and pride became blurry for me. And in my efforts to never EVER want to give the impression of being too big for my britches or thinking too highly of myself, I decided that confidence was just too close to pride and therefore it must also be avoided.

Here’s the thing though, nowhere in scripture have I ever found warnings against confidence. Oh sure, there are plenty about pride.

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” (Proverbs 11:2)

“The Lord detests all the proud at heart. Be sure of this; they will not go unpunished.” (Proverbs 16:5)

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” (1 Corinthians 13:4)

But when it comes to confidence, I’ve discovered that the Bible makes clear distinctions between it and pride.

“The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.” (Isaiah 32:17)

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.” (Jeremiah 17:7)

As I’ve read through the many verses about confidence, a beautiful picture has emerged that looks a little something like this.

When we place confidence in ourselves we will always come up short. We will be plagued with insecurity and doubt and fear or we will begin to think too highly of our own abilities and become filled with pride. But when we place our confidence in the Lord and how He created us, we are able to use the gifts He’s given us with grace and humility which ultimately leads to His glory, not ours. 

Pride and humility are mutually exclusive. They simply can’t share the same space in your heart. But, I believe that confidence and humility can righteously co-exist.

God wants us to have confidence in the gifts and abilities He’s given us! He want us to use them! Because the more confidence we have in using our gifts the brighter we shine for Him.

Let’s take Moses for example. When God spoke to him through the burning bush (Exodus 3), his initial reaction was to argue with God, to basically tell the Lord of the universe that He was making a big mistake in choosing him for such a job. He basically begged God to not use him. Moses had absolutely NO confidence in his God-given abilities and no trust that if his Father was calling him to this role that He would give him all that he needed to see it through. BUT, later on in the story, we see Moses getting just a little bit cocky. A little too comfortable in his own strengths. He decides to do things just a bit differently from how the Lord instructed him. (Numbers 20) and as a result he isn’t allowed to enter the promised land.

You see friends, I think that there is a sweet spot when it comes to confidence. Go too far one way and you find that you are full of yourself and certain that everything you have in life is the result of your awesomeness. Go too far the other way and you find that you are full of so much self-doubt and insecurity that you become paralyzed.

But, when you are in that sweet spot? Well, that’s where the magic happens. That is where you find freedom.

Freedom to use, really use those gifts and talents.

Freedom to be exactly who God created you to be.

Freedom to confidently represent the love of Jesus to those around you.

And, if you want to, freedom to dance in front of the mirror. 😉

I’m so glad you could meet me here at the Fence today,

 Vanessa signature

10 Comments Filed Under: Devotionals, Faith, Good Thoughts Tagged With: devotional, devotions, Faith, God

Subscribe

Get the latest goodness straight to your inbox!

Previous Post: « My Number One Question Answered
Next Post: Turn Kitchen Towels Into Framed Wall Art »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. cindy barganier says

    July 12, 2016 at 5:52 AM

    smmoch. I love and miss you.
    c

    Reply
  2. MARY-ANN FROM CANADA! says

    July 12, 2016 at 10:01 AM

    Enjoyed your devotional this morning, Vanessa! So glad I found your blog! God Bless You! Have a blessed day!

    Reply
  3. Pamela says

    July 12, 2016 at 10:25 AM

    Great thoughts. I sincerely believe that humility means being aware of who we are in front of our God. That an awareness of both our weaknesses and our strengths makes up humility. It is seeing ourselves the way He sees us. When we self criticize it’s not humility. Worse we send the message to our daughters that we aren’t good enough and if the woman she sees as the most beautiful, accomplished woman in the world, her mother, isn’t enough then what chance does she have, right? The beauty of your daughter dancing in front of the mirror lies in the fact that she has no shame in how she looks or how God created her. We learn shame through the wrongfu, hurtful words or acts of others, the media and comparison. Keep her in that truth for as long as you are able.

    Reply
  4. Sandie Luck says

    July 12, 2016 at 11:50 AM

    How beautifully thought out and shared, Vanessa. Thank you!
    Joyfully…~Sandie

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      July 14, 2016 at 7:20 AM

      Thank you Sandie!

      Reply
  5. Sarah Adams says

    July 12, 2016 at 2:17 PM

    Well put. I’ve wrestled with this in the realm of music performance and have had the hankering to address this on my blog for some time. It can be quite the inhibitor to freedom, fear of appearing or being proud. Loved this! <3

    Reply
  6. Lisa Mothersead says

    July 12, 2016 at 9:14 PM

    Reviving Ophelia is a great book for mothers of girls. Read it before your daughter hits puberty. Maybe you can keep her dancing with that same comfortable spirit.

    Reply
  7. Leslie Newman says

    October 27, 2017 at 1:47 PM

    Wow! I just love this perspective! You took a concept that is hard to understand and put it right into a gift package for us in a few sentences. Thank you! Sharing!!!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      October 27, 2017 at 4:46 PM

      Thank you so much for your kind words Leslie and for sharing it too! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Katie M. Reid says

    October 27, 2017 at 6:50 PM

    Such a great post! Thank you.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Search This Blog

Get the book!

Invite Vanessa to speak at your event!

Stay updated!

  • A New Look for the Family Room

    A New Look for the Family Room
  • Honey Tea Cake Loaf with Lemon Glaze

    Honey Tea Cake Loaf with Lemon Glaze
  • The Slow Exit

    The Slow Exit
  • Honed Quartzite Kitchen Counters Reveal

    Honed Quartzite Kitchen Counters Reveal

Sign Up and Never Miss A Post!

Must Reads

Latest Recipes

Strawberry Muffins with Lemon Glaze

Honey Tea Cake Loaf with Lemon Glaze

Apple Bread Pudding

view more recent recipes

Recent Posts

  • Decorating a Sofa Table May 31, 2023
  • Strawberry Muffins with Lemon Glaze April 19, 2023
  • Console Table Refresh March 24, 2023
  • Laundry Room Makeover February 23, 2023
  • Winter Decorating Ideas January 27, 2023

Footer

Stay Connected!

Instagram

Our son just turned TWENTY and I can hardly wrap m Our son just turned TWENTY and I can hardly wrap my head around the fact that we’ve completed two decades of parenting! I’ve had time to reflect on this season of life and shared some of my thoughts over at @club31women.

“Someday, years from now, we will watch home movies of the year 2023. And it will seem like I am peeking into the life of another family. I will have vague memories of those moments but my life will be so consumed with what is currently happening that it will seem like another lifetime. So, I embrace this season…this day…this moment. And I choose to declare that the emotional war in my heart between ‘what could have been’ and ‘what might be yet to come’ is over. I’m waving the white flag. I want my children to know that it is good and proper that they grow up and leave the nest. I want them to know that I can celebrate the passing of time rather than resist it even if there may be a few bittersweet tears that spill over from time to time.”

Head over to their devotional page to read the rest and I hope my words bring you encouragement for wherever you are on your parenting journey. 🤍
There’s nothing quite like enjoying the rewards There’s nothing quite like enjoying the rewards of your labor! The whole family pitched in to get our bark spread around the yard (I’m the master at raking it until it’s nice and even) and by the end of the day we were all done. Now we can head into summer with our big yard projects completed! 🙌🏻 Do you put in fresh bark every year?
Welcome June! I’m so glad you’re here! What’ Welcome June! I’m so glad you’re here! What’s your favorite thing about this month? Mind can be summed up in this quote…

“In early June the world of leaf and blade and flowers explodes, and every sunset is different.” John Steinbeck
“No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom “No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.”
General Douglas MacArthur

Grateful today and every day for those who were vigilant to the point of death in the preservation of our freedom and the principles upon which our country was founded. May we honor their sacrifice by being vigilant too. #memorialday
I’ve been on the lookout for small side tables t I’ve been on the lookout for small side tables to pit next to our outdoor couch and when I spotted these plant stands at @walmart from their @betterhomesandgardens line I knew they would be perfect…and they are!! 👏🏻 This is not a sponsored post. I’m just happily sharing this great find and why we should always be open to thinking outside of the box when it comes finding solutions for our decorating dilemmas.

Now we’re ready to head into this beautiful weekend! ☀️
What do you do when you want to use a bunch of boo What do you do when you want to use a bunch of books in your decorating but it can cost $50 or more for just ONE brand new book? Head to the secondhand bookstore of course! I’m so excited about this new look in my family room and this easy, inexpensive decorating tip I’m bringing to you for this #tiptuesday
Today feels like one of those days that is worthy Today feels like one of those days that is worthy of a chef’s kiss. Blue sky with nary a cloud in sight, perfect mid-70’s temps, a gentle breeze blowing through my hair as I walk around my yard to see the status of my flowering plants.

This morning I was running errands and the weight of hard things that are happening in the world, the culture, my own community and even in our circle of friends just felt so heavy.

But, as I was exiting a store, I passed a couple who were in their late 60’s/early 70’s and holding hands as they walked through the parking lot. I happened to glance over just as the husband lifted his wife’s hand up and planted a kiss right on it. It was a moment that reflected such love and tenderness and it was made sweeter by the fact that they weren’t spring chickens. I felt honored that I had been the one to observe and appreciate that moment.

What an incredible thing it is that as humans we are able to hold so many emotions in our souls all at once. To feel sorrow for the pain a friend is enduring, grieve the decline of a culture drifting further from the Lord, ponder how to navigate a challenging school situation, marvel at and enjoy the beauty of creation right outside my door and feel joy at getting to see a tangible example of lasting love while walking through a parking lot.

I truly believe that as we mature in our lives and in our faith, we learn to embrace the tension that comes with the collision of different emotions and recognize that they can all coexist at the same time without one taking something away from another. Simple joys make the hard stuff a bit easier and hard stuff makes us appreciate those simple joys even more.

What’s a simple joy that you are thankful for today?
Oh what an absolutely lovely weekend we had!! Here Oh what an absolutely lovely weekend we had!! Here are some highlights…

*Friday night I joined some wonderful ladies at church for a time of fellowship and yummy desserts. I made a strawberry lemon coffee cake and it was amazing if I do say so myself. ☺️ We are new-ish to this church and have just felt so warmly welcomed and folded in which has been very healing.

*Saturday was filled with getting our outdoor spaces spiffed up and my guys got our new table put together!

*Sitting outside for lunch with a yummy salad and iced tea felt like a little slice of heaven.

*Sunday we went to the iris gardens with my in-laws and then came home for naps and the most mouth watering ribs that my sweet husband had on the smoker all day.

*This glorious weekend ended with some ferocious rounds of UNO-corn (a hilarious version of UNO) and brownies my sweet daughter made for our dessert.

How was your weekend sweet friends? 🌸
I am absolutely and completely a better version of I am absolutely and completely a better version of myself when the sun is shining! Raise your hand if this is true for you too.

And, not only do I feel myself seeming to physically rise up from a slumbered state to greet the sunshine we've been longing for, I find that it seems like my house is rising up too. Every room, every nook and cranny (even though I now see dust bunnies that I missed during my cleaning on the dreary days), every leaf and flower outside...it's all coming to life and breathing fresh hope into my spirit. What a gift it is to be able to enjoy this home in all of the seasons of the year and of our lives. Now, I'm going to head outside and clean our deck and maybe there will be some time leftover for those dust bunnies!
I’m slightly obsessed with these glass dispenser I’m slightly obsessed with these glass dispensers! They come with pre-made labels for SO many different options and would make a great Mother’s Day gift! I love how they add a bit of pizzazz to my kitchen. And they go perfectly with some of my antique accessories like the little dish my mother in law gave me for salt and pepper and the tiny toothpick holder which belonged to my great grandmother. 

If you’d like the link to order them, just leave a comment with the word ‘bottles’ and I’ll send it your way. They’re even on sale right now! 🙌🏻
Load More... Follow
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2023 At The Picket Fence