How to Overcome Insecurities
Insecurity. It's a topic that seems to plague nearly every facet of society. It's evidenced in the many books published to help us find our confidence, figure out who we are, become that self-assured leader or spouse or parent or friend. It's evidenced on social media platforms as the topic culminates in posts designed to convince us that our lives will be set if we have "this thing" or "that kind" of family or lifestyle. And we tend to resonate with these messages because, likely, we want those things, we relate to those feelings, and we might do anything to obtain the security and confidence we so greatly desire. But as those feelings of insecurities creep in, and we begin to feel as though we are not enough, let us gaze upon our Creator and how He has equipped us to bring glory to Him. Below are two ways that we can overcome our securities and bring glory to God.
- Focus on Christ.
What if we realized that the one answer to every insecurity lies in Christ alone? What if we realized that we could not wrap our identities, security, or confidence in better jobs, more recognition, nicer homes, new clothing trends, the perfect complexion, more "togetherness," or more time? It may be easy to watch the lives of others around us and ask ourselves, How are they able to do that? Where do they find the resources, the time? And we fall into feelings of despair because we think we have failed. We become insecure about who we are. But we must rest instead on who God is, what He has done for us, and where He has sovereignly planted us.
We read in Psalm 16:6 that God has drawn boundary lines for us in pleasant places. God has placed us intentionally where we are. In every season, each of us has different strengths and resources–some more, some less–and in both, the Lord provides us with exactly what we need when we need it. Perhaps you yearn for more time to serve, but you are busy at home with kids and can only serve at the church "welcome desk" on Sunday mornings. In this season, your little is enough for Him to use. Or maybe you are in school, and on top of studying, you work long hours to pay tuition and can only help with children's church once a month. In this season, your little is enough for Him to use.
Our security cannot be measured by our limited resources, for His are limitless. So let us not lose heart when we feel as though we are falling short. When we use our time and resources wisely and when we focus not on our little but His greatness, we can have full confidence that surely He will use us as we seek Him, and He will turn our little into much for His kingdom. We look not to ourselves but to God, who is greater, and we find our security there in Him.
- Remember Unity in Christ
As we keep our focus on Christ, let us remember that as believers, we are part of the body of Christ, as Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 12. And in this body, there are different parts, no one part greater than the other. The Lord uses each of us. No matter how big or small we feel, He bestows gifts on us to share with others. Each is of great value to Him.
We can often fall into the trap of trying to keep up a perfect image for others as we serve, love well, perform with those gifts we have. We host small groups in our homes, teach our kids' Sunday school classes, lead worship in the praise bands, and plan women's retreats. And while we should take great joy in using those gifts, may we remember that those gifts are not intended for our glory but for His. Our tendency can sometimes be to find our confidence in these gifts, but every good and perfect gift is from above, and we should honor them as such. May we use them to magnify His name and bring glory to His kingdom and not our own–in whatever it is we have to offer.
For others of us, we are insecure about our abilities because we feel as if our gifts cannot be used. We feel unnoticed, disposable. Maybe we feel we have nothing to give or that what we do have to offer is of little value to His kingdom. But in those moments, let us look away from ourselves and to our wonderful Creator who made each of us in His very image. We reflect Him! And this means that through Him, we have something to offer, and that is Jesus as we share Him with others–in a simple conversation over a cup of coffee or a short conversation with someone at work or school. He takes what little we have–whatever that may be, whatever that may look like–and as we allow Him to work, He uses it to advance His eternal kingdom. In Him, we place our security, and that cannot be shaken.
So when we begin feeling insecure that we are not enough, let us remember to redirect our gaze to the One who is. We find our confidence in Jesus alone. Jesus lived a perfect life and died a perfect death on a cross so that in His resurrection, the Father would look upon us and see His perfect Son. Where we fall short, He is enough. And as we, the body of Christ, cling to this truth, let us rejoice in how He has knit each of us together that we may better serve Him and glorify His name.
