Let’s talk about insecurity.
Throughout my life, I have allowed insecurity to move into my mind and make itself at home. It is a feeling that many of us are familiar with and it is likely, that if you are reading this, it is something that has set up shop in your head and has taken hold of various life situations.
I don’t have all the answers however, exposing insecurity for what it truly is and what it does in our lives has been incredibly helpful.
The dictionary defines insecurity as “a state of being open to danger or threat; lack of protection”.
Furthermore, the word insecure can be defined as being “not firm or fixed, liable to give away or break; not sufficiently protected; easily broken into”.
So when applying this definition to self, what are the threats that we encounter in our daily life that can lead us to feel insecure?
When thinking for myself I thought of:
Other people’s opinions of me
Having unrelenting standards for myself
Comparing my career progression to that of my peers
Fear of being authentic at the risk of not fitting in
My appearance, am I pretty enough?
The list truly goes on …
Looking at this list I can see that the foundation for my insecurity is based on the shaky ground of societal standard.
It begs the question, how often do I turn to these things to build my life and where is God in view of all this?
I know that God wants to meet us where we are at - in the depth of our insecurity. He wants to break down this foundation and rebuild our base on him.
We see examples of women who did this in the Bible. A powerful example that inspires me to live a secure life in God is the story about the woman at the well, John 4:1-26. Jesus speaks honestly with the woman to show her that the relationships with men she has been endlessly pursuing will not give her true security only Christ himself will.
John 4:10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”
John 4:13-14 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.
I love the comparison between the water and the well, and the water he offers, the water of life and fulfilment. Insecurity is a symptom that indicates to us, an underlying thirst for connection, love and acceptance. Jesus promises us that he can meet this desire with ‘a spring of water that will become in us a spring of water welling up to eternal life’.
Jesus doesn’t just want us to be fulfilled for the day but for the rest of our lives.
This has made me question my foundation of security. It seems illogical to base my foundation on the ever-changing opinion of humans when I can build my life on God’s everlasting promises.
In view of this passage, I believe Jesus is offering his hand to help us deal with our insecurity permanently and not just temporarily and he is just waiting for us to take his hand.
Having Jesus and his word at the root is the only way we can build secure, fulfilling and transformational lives.
John 15:4-5 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.
- Keisha