Thursday, July 20, 2017

Insecurity

Do you ever struggle with insecurity? It is a common tool of the devil in trying to defeat all of us from time to time. Surprisingly, did you know that self-loathing, self-consciousness, and self-disgust are actually just fruits of the same tree that produces self-absorption, self-promotion, and self-centeredness? They all spring from the tree of pride!

Proverbs 28:25 offers us a glimpse into the tree of pride. Listen carefully to the structure of this proverb:  "He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife:  but he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made fat." In other words, the opposite of a proud heart is someone who "putteth his trust in the Lord."  Therefore, pride is "self-trust."  Faith is "God-trust."

The tree of pride has two main branches:  Self-promotion and self-loathing (insecurity).  Self-promotion is when we trust in ourselves and are happy with the results.  "I did it my way!" 
The other branch of pride, insecurity, is when we trust in ourselves and are unhappy with the results.  "I can't do anything right.  I'm a failure. I'm not as good as everyone else."

But faith (Christ-dependence) is a different tree altogether!  Faith recognizes that all abilities are from God.  When God gets all the credit, there is no longer room for self-promotion or self-loathing. We do not get credit for our successes, nor do we take the blame for abilities we may not posses.


The more we trust Christ and depend on Him, bringing every thought into captivity (II Cor. 10:5) and bringing all our needs and hurts to Him in prayer (I Peter 5:7), the more He gives us the victory over the ugly monster of insecurity!

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