HERE’S WHY
Why You Need to Push Past Your Insecurities Today
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” 1 Jon 4:18 (NKJV)
The majority of the insecurities that we deal with stem from feelings of fear. Fear that we won’t measure up, aren’t capable enough, are unworthy, won’t be accepted, won’t fit in, or can’t change or adapt.
At the very core of every insecurity is an inaccurate and poor self image…a lack of confidence in oneself, others and/or the world around them.
When you’re insecure, you tend to allow your insecurities to speak louder to your heart than the truth.
Unfortunately, insecurities give you such a skewed view of yourself that even when you hear the truth, you have a hard time believing it. Breaking the insecurity tie that binds you is almost impossible.
But with Christ…nothing is impossible…including pushing past your insecurities.
Insecurities prevent success because the insecure can never see themselves as successful. And even if they could get a glimpse of a successful version of themselves, their insecurities would prevent them from taking the necessary steps to get there.
Insecurities are notorious for ruining relationships, impeding education, destroying dreams, hindering happiness, creating jealous people and people pleasers, magnifying the giftedness of others while minimizing the giftedness of the insecure. They are game stoppers and alter the God-given destinies of each of us who are hindered by them.
When we struggle with insecurities we allow the pain of our past to paralyze us and we allow the fear of the future to stop us dead in our tracks. We underestimate ourselves and more importantly, we underestimate what God wants to do in our lives and that means we ultimately underestimate God.
Like most internal issues we deal with, the battle begins and ends in the mind.
The Bible tells us that…
“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 23:7
So the problem is that you and I have been inundated with some stinkin’ thinkin’ and we need to learn to readjust the pattern of our thoughts and realign them with the Word of God.
Think for a minute about some of those we are familiar with and some who have gone before us.
- What if Elisabeth Elliot would have allowed her insecurities to keep her from going to Ecuador?
- What if Timothy’s mother and grandmother were insecure about living out their faith and leaving a legacy for Timothy?
- What if Beth Moore would have allowed her insecurities to prevent her from standing in front of a small class years ago and teaching her first Bible study?
- What if David Livingstone would have allowed his insecurities to stop him from standing firm about reaching Africa for Christ?
- What if David’s insecurities would have prevented him from accepting the role as king?
- What if Esther’s insecurities would have stopped her from entering the contest to become queen?
You get the picture, right? What if those who have gone before us would have allowed their insecurities to prevent them from fulfilling their God-given destinies?
What if you are doing that very thing right now?
Tomorrow, we are going to look at how to really begin going to war against our insecurities and not just learning how to deal with them, but how to defeat them.
But for today, take a few minutes and write down some of the things your insecurities have prevented you from doing or the damage they have done. Be willing to take a good hard look at what your insecurities are and what the have kept you from or how they have ruined or hurt some of the relationships you have had.
It’s time to go to war and fight for all God wants you to be, sweet friend.
QUESTION: How have your insecurities affected your life, your dreams, your relationships and your future?
HERE’S HOW
5 Simple Steps to Help You Push Past Your Insecurities
“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 23:7
Proverbs 23:7 has been a life-changing verse for this girl whose life was riddled with insecurities.
I was the girl who had a bad past and a bleak future and understand how easy it is to allow the scars on our hearts, the foolish decisions we make, the wounds of hurtful words and our own faulty perception of ourselves to wreak havoc on who we are.
But when we become a child of God, He redeems us from guilt and shame; He sets us free from the bondage of sin, satan and self; He sees us as perfect, pure and holy as He sees His Son; and He has an amazing plan for our lives.
Not in spite of what we’ve been through, but in light of what we’ve been through. Not in spite of who we are, but in light of who He has created us to be.
I share this series about pushing past your insecurities because I understand what it is like to live among the ranks of the insecure.
But, at a time when my insecurity pit was deep and my heart was heavy and I truly just wanted to hide from the world, the Lord showed me an amazingly liberating way in which certain principles in His Word seemingly link together to pave a pathway for victory over our insecurities and even depression.
So, today, my precious friends, I want to share with you 5 simples steps to help you push past your insecurities:
1. KNOW WHERE THE BATTLE BEGINS… AND ENDS
We are in a war for our God-given destiny. Who God created you to be and who you are may look very different because you may have never considered that there is a battle going on to prevent you from walking in the fullness of God’s plan for your life. AND…understanding that the battle begins and ends in the mind will help you know how to wage war.
Knowing where the battle is fought is important if you are going to gain ground in and take the front lines of your destiny.
2. MAKE GOD’S WORD YOUR THOUGHT FILTER
Hosea 4:6 tells us God’s people are destroyed because of lack of knowledge. If we don’t know what the Word of God says about who we are, then every battle will end in defeat and we will never know the victory that is ours because of the cross. God’s Word is what we are to filter our thoughts through.
It is God’s Word that identifies us as the conquerors we are. But if we don’t know what God’s Word says, we will never win the battle of the mind. Saturate your heart in the Word of God and begin filtering every thought that comes your way through His Word. Determine to believe what God’s Word says about you and refuse to entertain any thoughts that run contrary to God’s Word.
3. MAKE A WHATEVER LIST
Philippians 4:8 tells us how to deal with an anxious, unsettled and weary heart. Think on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. Arm yourself with a list of these things to help you when your heart begins to sink under the weight of your insecurities.
Take your thoughts captive. That means choose your thoughts.
Every time you feel insecure, remember the battle is in the mind. FILTER YOUR THOUGHTS through what God’s Word says about and choose to think on your WHATEVER LIST. YOU determine what you will think on and the battle will come to a screeching halt when God’s Word becomes your thought filter and you begin thinking on what is good, lovely, excellent, and praiseworthy.
4. CREATE A PRAYER TARGET LIST
Develop of list of people who you can and should be praying for. Pray for those you know. Pray for family, friends, missionaries and nations. And every time the battle of the mind takes you to the place of stinkin’ thinkin’, begin to pray for those on your list.
In Job 42:10, the Bible says the Lord restored Job after he prayed for his friends. When he chose to think about and pray for others, and he took his mind off of himself, what he was going through, and why he didn’t feel like he measured up, God changed his circumstances and helped Job walk in his God-given identity by restoring to him double what he had lost.
5. JUST DO IT
Insecurities prevent us from fulfilling our God-given destinies. That means if you’ve been dealing with feelings of insecurity, you are not walking in the fulness of all God has for you…and you probably have a dream tucked deep within your heart that if you felt like you were really able to do it, that you would. But your insecurities have been putting the brakes on any attempts you might have to fulfill that thing.
TODAY, begin taking steps towards that dream.
If you have wanted to teach, ask the Lord to open that door, offer to teach children, youth or during VBS. If you have a desire to sing, take some college courses, work on becoming a nurse, apply for that management position, invite a group of friends over to get to know them better, go to that small group you’ve been afraid to go to, make that phone call, apply for that position, or begin that business.
Whatever it is that has relentlessly been on your heart, but you’ve been too afraid to do it, JUST DO IT!
You were meant for so much more than sitting on the bench and watching life go by. There is a position on the team that is specifically for you, but you have to be willing to go out there and join the team. Push past your insecurities sweet friend and become who God has created you to be.
These five simple steps are simple…but not easy. They require work, diligence, persistence and faith.
But they work. I know.
They’ve worked for me and since they’re biblical principles, I know they’ll work for you too!
QUESTIONS:
- HAS THIS HELPED YOU AT ALL?
- WHAT INSECURITIES ARE YOU DEALING WITH THAT ARE PREVENTING YOU FROM STEPPING INTO YOUR GOD-GIVEN DESTINY?
- WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WEREN’T AFRAID THAT YOU’D FAIL OR THAT YOU WEREN’T GOOD ENOUGH, SMART ENOUGH, OR QUALIFIED ENOUGH?
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If you are interested in having Stephanie speak at your next event, you can check out some of her speaking topics by clicking this link and contact her about availability by clicking here.
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