Four Differences Between Confidence and Arrogance
Some people think that confidence is pride. You can be confident and be very humble. Pride is confidence in the wrong things. True confidence comes from a solid foundation of knowing who you are in Christ. Look at these four differences between confidence and arrogance and check up on yourself.

1. Confidence is security in who we are in Christ. Arrogance is self-reliance because of what we have, who we know, or what we have done.
   
2. Confidence is knowing that "we can do all things through Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:13) versus trusting what we can do ourselves.
   
3. Confidence is knowing our past is forgiven by God and we are in good standing with Him by faith. Arrogance is confidence in our works and our righteousness (Eph 2:8).
   
4. Confidence is knowing that God is on our side and, therefore, it doesn't matter who is against us. Arrogance is security from circumstances and our own resources (Rom. 8:31).
   
5. Be confident because of who you are in Christ Jesus. With Him on your side, you can't fall.

Five Marks Of A Confident Person
Use this as a check to see if you are confident in who you are in Christ.

1. You aren't afraid to meet new people.
   
2. You like to try new things and see new places.
   
3. You aren't afraid to take calculated risks in order to achieve something you want.
   
4. You don't get discouraged and depressed when you fall. Instead, you pick yourself back up.
   
5. It doesn't bother you much when people criticize you.

If all the statements above describe you, you are very confident. If four of the statements are true about you, your confidence is solid and improving.

Three true statements mean you could use some improvement. It's not looking good if only two statements are true; you are limiting yourself from great experiences. If you only found one statement to be true, reread this every day until all the statements are true. Remember, in Christ you are a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17).

Three Musts For Building Real Confidence
If you need more confidence in your life, here is a simple game plan that will help you grow.

1. Find your identity in Christ Jesus. If we look to ourselves for confidence, we have many reasons to be insecure and disappointed. But in Christ, we are amazing. Look up these Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 5:17, Philippians 4:13; Colossians 1:22; Jude 24; Romans 8:15.
   
2. Surround yourself with people who believe in you. Small people criticize big dreams. Don't allow your faith and self-esteem to be robbed by critical and negative people. Surround yourself with people who believe in you.
   
3. Take small steps to build big victories. We all have things in our lives we are secretly afraid of. Maybe its heights, meeting new people, trying new foods, or sharing our faith. Don't take a leap of faith; take little steps toward overcoming our fears. The Bible says, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord" (Ps. 37:23).

Build these three steps to confidence into your daily routine, and watch your confidence soar.

Source: Every Teenager's Little Black Book of Hard to Find Information
by Blaine Bartel.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers