Insecurity

 Insecurity can be defined as, lack of confidence or assurance; self-doubt. In order for our souls to be healthy we need to have an understanding of the root causes of insecurity. Insecurity is a symptom of a deeper wound in the soul of a man or woman. We were born to be loved. God's original purpose for us all is that we know we were created by him for a specific purpose. We were meant to love and be loved. But in a broken and sin stained world we lose our relational center. We don't know who we are. We don't know how we got here.  We don't know where we're going. To put it simply, we're lost.

  The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah gives us some unique insight into how God plans us for significance. Our security is meant to be rooted in God's original design and call upon us as his unique creation. Jeremiah chapter 1 and verse 4 proclaims God's intimate knowledge of us , "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world." God's knowledge, care and call upon our lives predate our physical conception! 

  How we define ourselves as people..... and how we allow others to define us often leads to attacks on our sense of security. Feeling secure......"safe from harm" is an absolute essential need for a healthy life. Insecurity leads to a constant sense of 'danger' which leads to the soul feeling under attack. When we feel insecure our body and mind go on 'full alert' and we release chemicals into our bloodstream designed to get us ready to run for our lives. When the danger is not something that can be evaded by our fight or flight reflexes, our souls become vexed and we feel constantly exhausted and emotionally drained. There is an underlying sense that we are not measuring up to who we should be. We feel like a failure when compared to others. Perhaps it is an issue of our physical appearance. For women there is intense pressure to achieve a standard of beauty that is virtually unattainable in real life.  For those approaching college or the work world, the competition for grades or a particular job is intense. People define themselves by their field of study, income, ownership of homes and cars etc..... There is a sense that security lies in a set of variables often outside our control. This is a breeding ground for insecurity.  You cannot buy or sell security. Security is a gift you were given before you were born. Your significance and value are rooted somewhere more stable and deep. God made you, he formed you, he shaped and he created you for a specific masterpiece of purpose. Your physical appearance, your intelligence, your talents and your desires and dreams flow out of a grand design. You are created out of love. God is passionate about you!

  Listen to how the Psalmist David describes God's intimate knowledge of you,  "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous--and how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was being woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed." (Psalm 139:13-16)

  God was intimately involved in making you who you are. Security is rooted in knowing this in the deepest recesses of your heart and mind. When you know that you are not an accident. When you know you're who you are .... on purpose. That every aspect of you is precious, important and loved perfectly.... you're able to become secure.....safe from harm. Healed.

  We are all on the way to somewhere. We are all becoming someone. God's design and ultimate purpose for all of us is that we would be so rooted and secure in his love that we would discover his purposes for us and achieve a significance and satisfaction that surpasses anything that money alone could possibly buy. The Apostle Paul in Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 10 says, "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."

  Feeling insecure? Are fear, uncertainty or anxiety gripping your soul? Is there an underlying sense that something is missing on the inside? You were not meant to live this way. These feeling are symptoms of an insecure soul longing to come home to a perfectly loving Heavenly Father.... who created, made you, shaped and formed you....beautifully and wonderfully made for significance.

  Security isn't an achievement..... security isn't a retirement fund or the perfect spouse, home or job.Security is a relationship with the one who made you, who loved you and who is waiting to pour out his love upon you right now wherever you are. He has a lot to say, and you need to hear it.  Open your heart.... and let the healing begin.

Jim