83. Q&A: How can I Feel Confident in God when I was never Encouraged Growing Up?

Welcome to Curious for Christ Q&A! Today, we’re answering a powerful question: “How can I feel confident in God when I was never encouraged the way I needed growing up?”

If you struggled with a lack of encouragement or love growing up, you may question your ability to feel confident in God. But the good news is—God can restore what was missing and build a confidence in us that isn’t tied to our past but rooted in Him.

1. How Our Upbringing Shapes Us
• Our childhood shapes how we see ourselves and relate to God.
• Proverbs 22:6 reminds us that patterns learned early in life stick with us: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
• These patterns can affect how we trust God and feel about ourselves.

2. God’s Truth Rewrites Our Story
• God’s truth is greater than the story shaped by our upbringing.
• Psalm 27:10 – “Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.”
• Romans 12:2 – “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
• Healing and confidence come when we allow God to reshape our hearts and minds.

3. How to Build Confidence in God
1. Recognize the Lies – Identify the false beliefs from your past.
2. Recognize God at Work – See where God is moving in your life (Philippians 1:6).
3. Replace Lies with God’s Truth – Meditate on Scriptures that affirm your worth in Him (Isaiah 43:1).
4. Take Small Faith Steps – Confidence grows through action (James 2:17).
5. Surround Yourself with Encouragers – Find people who reinforce God’s truth in your life.

Closing Encouragement:
• You are not bound by your past.
• Isaiah 41:10 – “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.”

Call to Action:
If this episode resonated with you, take time to reflect, pray, and step into the confidence God is building in you. Share this episode with someone who needs encouragement.

See you next week!

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Transcript

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Welcome to Curious for Christ Q& A. Today, we're tackling a question that many wrestle with. How can I feel confident in God when I was never encouraged the way I needed growing up? If you grew up in an environment where love felt conditional or encouragement was scarce, you might struggle to believe that confidence is something meant for you. But here's the good news. God can restore what was missing, heal what was broken, and build within us a confidence that isn't tied to our past, but firmly rooted in Him. Chances are, this applies to all of us, because if we weren't raised in the way of Jesus, we inherited incomplete truth and faulty patterns that were never meant to last. But God's truth is eternal, and His way is eternal. leads to wholeness. So let's dive into this question together and seek an answer that brings clarity, healing, and confidence in Him. Welcome to Curious for Christ. Do you ever find yourself lying awake at night, wondering about God's plan for your life? Maybe you wake up with big dreams, but feel unsure where to start or what your next step should be. If you're curious about exploring your faith and finding purpose, then you've come to the right place. Hi, I'm Alexandra. I too felt lost, unsure of the direction my life was taking. I yearned to understand my purpose and have someone guide me. But I kept telling myself I was too busy, the timing wasn't right, and my lack of clarity prevented me from being consistent, until I found Christ. He brought peace into my life and revealed the way to find purpose, by anchoring myself In this podcast, we'll journey together exploring the Bible to gain a deeper understanding of Him and cultivate your own personal relationship with Christ. So open up your Bible, put in those earbuds and listen up because God is speaking to you. He is making everything new and you don't want to miss it. Let's get started. First, I'd like to talk about how our upbringing shapes us. Our childhood experiences shape how we see ourselves and how we relate to God. If we were constantly criticized or made to feel small, We might struggle with self trust and confidence in God's plan for us. The Bible acknowledges this. Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22, verse 6. This works both positively and negatively. The patterns that we grew up with don't just disappear. They follow us into adulthood and affect how we receive love, take risks, and even trust God. So, how does God's truth rewrite our story? The way we were shaped is not the final word over our lives. God's truth is greater. Psalm 27 verse 10 says, Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me. This reminds us that God's love fills the gaps where human love failed. And Romans 12 verse 2 says, Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Healing and confidence come when we let God reshape our minds and hearts. How to build confidence in God, number one. Recognize the lies. To build confidence in God, we first need to identify the lies that we've carried from our past. So ask yourself, what have I believed about myself that doesn't align with God's truth? Awareness is key. When God brings certain things to the surface, things that don't feel great, it's not to condemn you. He's not telling you who you are. Rather, He's revealing what shaped you so that He can heal and transform you. Sometimes we assume that church and faith should always feel encouraging, but growth often requires discomfort. God will allow us to face the deep seated falsehoods we've internalized so that we can replace them with his truth. When you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation, don't run from it. Instead, recognize it as part of the refining process that helps you grow into the person God created you to be. A powerful example of this is Peter's denial of Jesus in Luke 22, verses 54 through 62. Peter believed he was strong, loyal, and unwavering in his faith. But when confronted with fear, he denied Jesus three times. That moment was deeply uncomfortable. It was devastating, even. But Jesus didn't let Peter stay in that brokenness. And after his resurrection, Jesus gently restored him. We can read that in John 21 verses 15 through 17. Allowing Peter to confront his failure, replace his false confidence with true dependence on God, and step into his calling as a bold leader in the early church. Like Peter, We must face the falsehoods we've believed, not to stay stuck in them, but so that God can replace them with truth and build us into who He always intended us to be. Number two, recognize God at work. Pay attention to what God is doing in your life, even in small ways. Confidence grows when we see Him. see him moving. Where has he provided? Where has he protected you or opened doors? Philippians 1 verse 6 says he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion. It's not about you. It's about God doing something in you and he will finish what he started him in. Number three, replace the lies with God's truth. Speak and meditate on scripture that affirm your worth in him. Isaiah 43 verse one says, I have called you by name. You are mine. Number four, take small faith steps. Confidence isn't just a feeling, it's built through action. Trust grows when we step forward, even when we don't feel ready. As James 2 verse 17 says, Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. And this is the part where I bribe you to join my Facebook group community. Just kidding. But in all seriousness, we all need encouragement and the support of like minded people to keep growing in faith. Which leads me to number 5, Surround yourself with encouragers. God often brings people into our lives to reinforce his truth. So who around you reflects his love and confidence in you? So if you would like to be part of my Facebook community, the link will be in the show notes. And if you're looking for personal guidance on your faith journey, You can schedule a free discovery call with me at bit. ly forward slash curiousforchristdiscovery. So this is it, my friend, to close, I'd like to encourage you that you are not bound by your past, that God's confidence is different from human confidence. It's rooted in who he is, not what you've been through or what you did or what you didn't do. God bless you. Isaiah 41 verse 10 says, 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. My friend. If this episode spoke to you, take some time to pray, to reflect, and step into the confidence God is building in you, one day at a time. Remember it's all in his timing and God is on your side. Please share this episode with someone who could use some encouragement and I will see you next week. Bye for now. Hi, and thank you for joining me for our Wednesday Q& A. Clarity is key, so if you have more questions about God, the Bible, faith, or how to apply it to real life situations, please Feel free to email me at hello at alexandraalvarezcoaching. com. It's hello at alexandraalvarezcoaching. com. A L E X A N D R A A L V A R E Z coaching. com. And if you're enjoying the show, I'd really appreciate it. If you could leave a review, that's how I know what's resonating with you. So just go to Curious for Christ on Apple podcast or Spotify. Scroll down and click write a review. Don't forget to follow the show so you're notified when our next Q& A is out. Thanks again and I'll see you next week.