Insecurity

I used to see insecurity as something to be nurtured ~ like a baby: vulnerable, helpless, needy. How would you deal with insecure Christians? Well, you affirm and encourage the person, I'd've said.

My friend prescribed a different treatment. They suggested that insecurity, like arrogance, needs to be rebuked. Hmmmm...

Let's look at the varieties of Insecurus Doubtae. They may look:

· nervous, scared, timid, weak, anxious, untrusting, paranoid.
· proud, needing to look down others in order to feel better about themselves.
· envious, needing to compare themselves to others: elated to be doing better, dejected to be lagging.
· petty, needing to assert the very little power they have.
· defensive, needing to guard and protect what they have.
· stingey or selfish, needing to make sure they have enough for themselves.
· possessive, needing to claim things as their own.
· discontent, needing more, needing better.
· competitive, needing to prove they can beat others.
· powerful, needing to control and exercise power over others.
· stagnant and inflexible, needing stability and predictability for security.
· opinionated or critical, needing to show that they have superior knowledge and experience.
· like a bully, needing to intimidate and belittle people to gain a sense of power.
· like a control freak, needing to control themselves, their environment and others in trivial and big ways.
· like a manipulator, needing to control others in trivial and big ways.
· like a rebel, needing to subvert and throw off the established powers.
· like a corrector or authority, needing to show they know best.
· like a gossip, needing to control information because knowledge is power.
· like an attention seeker, needing other people's affirmation in order to feel valued.
· like an exaggerator, flatterer or liar, needing to blow out or take away from the truth.
· like an anorexic or bulimic, needing to control their food and bodies in order to have some control over anything.
· like a pioneer or high achievers, needing to achieve something significant in order to be someone significant.
· like a usurper, needing to take power away from the ones in higher positions.
· like a predator, enjoying the power of breaking the rules or taking what they shouldn't take.

All different of animals at this zoo. All with the same brokenness. All need the same treatment.

At its core, insecurity is disbelieving God is good + God is in control + God is enough.

Disbelief.

Doubt.

Introspection.

The remedy for insecurity is correcting and reminding about the security that is God. Perhaps gently, perhaps not. How you treat them depends on the type of animal. But the active ingredient is the same.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!

~ Psalm 84:11-12

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