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Insecurity
Insecurity is an issue that affects many people for various reasons and in disparate ways. So, what exactly does the Bible say about it? And more importantly, does the Bible provide solutions for us? It has been determined by the experts that deep down, upwards to 95% of people in this country suffer from a strong sense of insecurity. Anxiety, despair, doubts, lack of trust seemingly leaves no one immune, even amongst us Christians. The causes for insecurity include: our childhood experiences (such as lack of encouragement or unrealistic expectations), mobility and change (such as a move to a new town, a promotion), and crisis (such as divorce, loss of employment, middle-age). And its symptoms are manifested in several ways.
Four of the major characteristics of insecurity are seen in aggressiveness, addictive behavior (an overdependence on things or people), affective behavior (meaning we are self-conscious and pre-occupied with the reactions of others), and criticism (critical people tear others down in order to build themselves up). Aggressive people, typically labeled as type-A personalities, are frequently found to be impatient, and work-dominated. More often than not, they have deep, hidden anger brought about by well-entrenched insecurities. Being overly competitive they work, eat, and drink too much, and relax too little. In t his society we laud the aggressive, gung ho person who goes out there to win. But actually we should be trying to help them with their real fears and insecurities that are imbedded beneath their behavior.
But is it possible for a genuine follower of Christ to be overwhelmed with fears and doubts, the debilitating feelings of insecurity? Of course. For example, even in spite of his triumph over the prophets of Baal, Elijah fell into deep despair (see 1 Kings 19:4). Peter, after confidently proclaiming his faithfulness to Jesus (Matthew 26:33-35), denied Him with curses and wept bitterly (Mark 14:66-72). And the apostle Paul, author of 13 books of the New Testament, “despaired even of life” (2 Corinthians 1:8), and agonized over his helplessness when struggling against his “sinful nature” (Romans 7:18-24).&n bsp;
Though God accomplished great things through each of these people, as persons of faith they too, as we often do today, experienced their worlds spinning out of control.
These examples from the Bible make it clear that believers will face trials that are at times unexpected or have no discernible purpose. Such adversities can overwhelm our efforts to understand and rationalize them. But these examples of great people of faith demonstrate that experiences of stress and despair can be times of great spiritual growth.
The Scriptures, especially the Psalms are resplendent with words of courage, strength, resiliency, faith and the means to prevail over our fears, our feelings of inadequacy. “When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” (Psalms 56:3-4) These words were composed by David during the time he was being relentlessly pursued by Saul. It was the great prophet, Isaiah, who wrote: “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation” (Isaiah 12:2). Notice that the key to their triumph over their fears and insecurities was found in their fervent trust in God.
The Bible goes on to say more about trusting Him: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and le an not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). Furthermore, it tells us that “He who trusts in himself is a fool. . .” (Proverbs 28:26). Still, most of us have difficulty trusting God at least at one point or another in our walk with Him.
To trust in God, we must totally give up our will, our ideas, our desires, and our future in to His hands. Many of us are “control freaks.” We don't want to relinquish the control of any part of our lives to another. If we don't believe that God loves us fully or has our best interest at heart or desires the very best for us, trusting Him is going to be very difficult. It takes a unique relationship to allow that measure of surrender. Most of us claim trust in God, but at the first sign of any trouble, we think that God must not love us because He’s allowing this misfortune to occur. But we must understand such a trial is precisely what God is using to test the level of trust that w e have in Him (see James 1:2-4).
In spite of these trials, we always have His promise that the difficulties that we face are for our good (Romans 8:28, Hebrews 12:2, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, James 1:2). It is through trust that our relationship with God strengthens and our love for Him grows.
We can put our trust into many things of this world (see 1 John 2:16-17). But none offer the protection plan, the long term security, or the benefits that trusting in God offers. All of the other things in which we place our trust can fail. God never fails! In the words of King David, “. . .Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. . .” (1 Chronicles 28:20).
It was the apostle Peter, having earlier denied Jesus, who penned these e ncouraging words: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).
But there’s one remarkable passage tucked away in the book of Hebrews that is especially poignant. It’s found in Hebrews 6:19: “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” For the 1st century Christians, the anchor was an important symbol. In the catacombs of Rome, those tunnels under the ancient city where many of the early Christians were buried, one can see the symbols of faith on their tombs. Three common symbols appear: the dove, the fish, and the anchor. The dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit. The letters of the Greek word for fish, “ichthus”, stand for the words Jesus Christ, God' s Son, Savior. The anchor came from the idea that, as those early Christians were going through difficult, insecure times, their hope secured and anchored their souls. Yes, Jesus has gone before us. He is the one who went ahead to made sure the way is open for us. He has gone into the presence of the living God. He has forgiven our sins.
He has offered us eternal life. And He has promised to keep that which we’ve committed to Him. Though our insecurities will show from time to time, we are assured of an anchor for our soul, fastened to a rock that cannot move, grounded firm and deep in the Savior's love. And this is where we find security in the midst of all our insecurities. Again, thank you so much for writing us! We pray that we’ve been helpful and encourage you to write us again if you have additional concerns or questions. We’d be delighted to hear back from you! Take care, and may the peace of God which transcends all understanding guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
source: gotquestions.org
Insecurity is an issue that affects many people for various reasons and in disparate ways. So, what exactly does the Bible say about it? And more importantly, does the Bible provide solutions for us? It has been determined by the experts that deep down, upwards to 95% of people in this country suffer from a strong sense of insecurity. Anxiety, despair, doubts, lack of trust seemingly leaves no one immune, even amongst us Christians. The causes for insecurity include: our childhood experiences (such as lack of encouragement or unrealistic expectations), mobility and change (such as a move to a new town, a promotion), and crisis (such as divorce, loss of employment, middle-age). And its symptoms are manifested in several ways.
Four of the major characteristics of insecurity are seen in aggressiveness, addictive behavior (an overdependence on things or people), affective behavior (meaning we are self-conscious and pre-occupied with the reactions of others), and criticism (critical people tear others down in order to build themselves up). Aggressive people, typically labeled as type-A personalities, are frequently found to be impatient, and work-dominated. More often than not, they have deep, hidden anger brought about by well-entrenched insecurities. Being overly competitive they work, eat, and drink too much, and relax too little. In t his society we laud the aggressive, gung ho person who goes out there to win. But actually we should be trying to help them with their real fears and insecurities that are imbedded beneath their behavior.
But is it possible for a genuine follower of Christ to be overwhelmed with fears and doubts, the debilitating feelings of insecurity? Of course. For example, even in spite of his triumph over the prophets of Baal, Elijah fell into deep despair (see 1 Kings 19:4). Peter, after confidently proclaiming his faithfulness to Jesus (Matthew 26:33-35), denied Him with curses and wept bitterly (Mark 14:66-72). And the apostle Paul, author of 13 books of the New Testament, “despaired even of life” (2 Corinthians 1:8), and agonized over his helplessness when struggling against his “sinful nature” (Romans 7:18-24).&n bsp;
Though God accomplished great things through each of these people, as persons of faith they too, as we often do today, experienced their worlds spinning out of control.
These examples from the Bible make it clear that believers will face trials that are at times unexpected or have no discernible purpose. Such adversities can overwhelm our efforts to understand and rationalize them. But these examples of great people of faith demonstrate that experiences of stress and despair can be times of great spiritual growth.
The Scriptures, especially the Psalms are resplendent with words of courage, strength, resiliency, faith and the means to prevail over our fears, our feelings of inadequacy. “When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” (Psalms 56:3-4) These words were composed by David during the time he was being relentlessly pursued by Saul. It was the great prophet, Isaiah, who wrote: “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation” (Isaiah 12:2). Notice that the key to their triumph over their fears and insecurities was found in their fervent trust in God.
The Bible goes on to say more about trusting Him: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and le an not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). Furthermore, it tells us that “He who trusts in himself is a fool. . .” (Proverbs 28:26). Still, most of us have difficulty trusting God at least at one point or another in our walk with Him.
To trust in God, we must totally give up our will, our ideas, our desires, and our future in to His hands. Many of us are “control freaks.” We don't want to relinquish the control of any part of our lives to another. If we don't believe that God loves us fully or has our best interest at heart or desires the very best for us, trusting Him is going to be very difficult. It takes a unique relationship to allow that measure of surrender. Most of us claim trust in God, but at the first sign of any trouble, we think that God must not love us because He’s allowing this misfortune to occur. But we must understand such a trial is precisely what God is using to test the level of trust that w e have in Him (see James 1:2-4).
In spite of these trials, we always have His promise that the difficulties that we face are for our good (Romans 8:28, Hebrews 12:2, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, James 1:2). It is through trust that our relationship with God strengthens and our love for Him grows.
We can put our trust into many things of this world (see 1 John 2:16-17). But none offer the protection plan, the long term security, or the benefits that trusting in God offers. All of the other things in which we place our trust can fail. God never fails! In the words of King David, “. . .Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. . .” (1 Chronicles 28:20).
It was the apostle Peter, having earlier denied Jesus, who penned these e ncouraging words: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).
But there’s one remarkable passage tucked away in the book of Hebrews that is especially poignant. It’s found in Hebrews 6:19: “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” For the 1st century Christians, the anchor was an important symbol. In the catacombs of Rome, those tunnels under the ancient city where many of the early Christians were buried, one can see the symbols of faith on their tombs. Three common symbols appear: the dove, the fish, and the anchor. The dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit. The letters of the Greek word for fish, “ichthus”, stand for the words Jesus Christ, God' s Son, Savior. The anchor came from the idea that, as those early Christians were going through difficult, insecure times, their hope secured and anchored their souls. Yes, Jesus has gone before us. He is the one who went ahead to made sure the way is open for us. He has gone into the presence of the living God. He has forgiven our sins.
He has offered us eternal life. And He has promised to keep that which we’ve committed to Him. Though our insecurities will show from time to time, we are assured of an anchor for our soul, fastened to a rock that cannot move, grounded firm and deep in the Savior's love. And this is where we find security in the midst of all our insecurities. Again, thank you so much for writing us! We pray that we’ve been helpful and encourage you to write us again if you have additional concerns or questions. We’d be delighted to hear back from you! Take care, and may the peace of God which transcends all understanding guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
source: gotquestions.org