Insecure

I hate those moments in life where insecurity creeps into my heart and life. I look back on them and wish I’d felt differently – acted differently. I see how things could have been, would have been just fine if I’d simply embraced who and where I was in that moment.

I do hate insecurity.

Insecurity can make you feel unloveable when you really are very loved. It can make you feel ugly when you are attractive and it can make you feel unqualified when you have a unique gift. In short, it robs us of our confidence. It steals our belief in ourselves.

I know that I have special callings, qualities, and gifts. Yet I can get impatient and then compare myself to someone else. I look away from my own path and I look at someone else’s. All of a sudden, I’m feeling doubtful, frustrated, and inept.  Have you been there too?

I’m learning as I get older that the more comfortable I am with myself, the more comfortable others are with me, as well. Confidence often comes from learning from our hurts, failures, and missteps. It also comes from realizing the good things about ourselves and learning to relish and enjoy those things.

Everyone gets insecure at some point in their lives. I’ve never met anyone who hasn’t felt that feeling of inferiority.  I think it comes more often when you are young, when you feel lonely, and when you are seeking approval from others. Knowing that, it helps you to fight against it by developing good friends who love you for who you are and finding approval from God first and foremost.

As for being young, you can only grow up so fast. But you can realize that seasons of your life will not last forever.  You can sidestep many catastrophes by learning to not care so much what others think of you. It’s crazy how people can sense when someone cares very much what they think. It gives them an elevated sense of power in your life. If they realize you are confident and comfortable with who you are, oftentimes they move on to pick on someone else.

That really is the key, isn’t it? Learning to be comfortable with who we are. Wherever God has placed us. There is joy to be found. Blessings to be had. And strength to be gained.

You are valuable. You have gifts. There is beauty to be found where you are and there is beauty to be found in WHO you are. 

Don’t let insecurity win one more moment of your heart.