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Key Bible Verse: Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). Bonus Reading: Hebrews 5:12-14; 6:1-2

Confidence only comes through tasting victory. To get confident, you have to set some kind of goal. My goal at OSU [Oregon State University] the day I got to campus was just to have the courage to play with those guys. When I reached that goal, my confidence grew. Then I could set another goal: to play them and actually score one time.

Maybe a goal for a young basketball player is to make 10 free throws in a row. When you try and you make eight, that gives you a sense that you can eventually accomplish what you set out to do. Maybe a goal for a new Christian isn't to win 10 people to Christ in one day, but to admit to just one person that you've become a Christian.

If you don't set goals, you can't possible reach them, because even if you get there, you won't know it. So set goals. Take practical steps to reach them, little steps of faith, courage and boldness. Face the challenge head-on. If you want to memorize a Scripture verse or a series of verses, go at it. It's a step, and that builds confidence.

—A. C. Green in Victory

• Take time this week to set some achievable goals. Ask God to build your confidence.

Thought to Apply: A winner is someone who recognizes God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses them to accomplish his goals

—LARRY BIRD (FORMER BASKETBALL PLAYER, COACH)

Credits: Adapted from—Wednesday: with J.C. Webster, Victory (Creation, 1994)

Copyright © 2000 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity. For reprint information click here.

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