Finding Freedom from Insecurity with God’s Promises
Maureen Zach
Have you ever wondered if you are good enough? Ever questioned your abilities or something about yourself? Do you ever compare yourself to those around you and feel like you don’t measure up? If you have experienced any of these, you’re not alone. You need freedom from insecurity.
Going through life with uncertainty about who you are or your abilities is insecurity, and it can show up in a variety of ways in your life. It is possible to experience freedom from self-doubt, wondering if you’re good enough, or constantly comparing yourself to those around you.
What is insecurity?
To experience freedom from insecurity, it is important to understand what it is. The main components of insecurity are feelings of inadequacy and uncertainty.Inadequacy is the idea that you are not adequate, or not good enough. This can be in any area of your life, from your looks, your home, your work, your relationships, your personality, etc. There are seemingly endless ways for feelings of inadequacy to permeate our lives. These feelings can vary over time, in different situations, and with different people.
Uncertainty is a constant question that pairs closely with inadequacy. You may constantly wonder if you are doing the right thing or making the right decisions. When you feel inadequate, you may have uncertainty about everything you do, think, and speak. Even your uncertainty becomes part of who you are and how you function in the world.
Sometimes insecurity begins in the early years, stemming from childhood events, comments, or trauma. For others, insecurity appears later on in their teen years or adulthood. Often, insecurity is overlooked as something that people keep to themselves or dismiss as insignificant. The very nature of insecurity breeds this shame and insignificance, causing people to suffer far longer than they want.
How insecurity affects us.
While we know that every person is unique, even in their insecurity, there are some common ways insecurity shows up in our lives. Some of the symptoms may seem minor on the outside. Disliking shopping because you don’t feel good in anything you wear or using social media to see what everyone else is doing can feel unrelated. But even these minor things are evidence of the underlying feelings of inadequacy and uncertainty within.
Other times insecurity is the catalyst for bigger struggles and even medical issues. From depression and anxiety to eating disorders and self-harm, insecurity can lead to more complex issues that need medical intervention.
Addressing insecurity is important and should be taken seriously. With safety, wellness, and overall happiness at stake, pursuing freedom from insecurity is a priority.
Is freedom from insecurity possible?
With the significant and far-reaching nature of insecurity, we can begin to wonder if freedom is even possible. The good news is we don’t need to wonder:
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. – 2 Corinthians 3:17, CSB
Paul reminds us that there is freedom wherever the Spirit is. As a believer, the Spirit of God lives inside of you. That means there is freedom available living inside of you.
The best part of this promise is that you don’t need to create freedom on your own. It is already living within you. God will help you live in and feel that freedom in His strength. The promise depends on Him, not on you. You simply get to experience the gift He gives. And this is just the beginning.The Bible is full of promises to lean on that will give you freedom from insecurity, freedom from wondering if you’re good enough, and freedom from uncertainty.
Promise 1: You are capable.
Such is the confidence we have through Christ before God. It is not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God. – 2 Corinthians 3:4-5, CSB
You can be confident in your abilities because they are from God. You don’t have to do anything alone or in your own strength. Through Christ, God lives within you and your adequacy comes from Him.
Promise 2: You are cared for and protected.
The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake. – Psalm 23:1-3, CSB
God cares for you in every way. He watches over you like a shepherd, never leaving you alone. He gives you all you need, even providing safe places for you. Your life is renewed and He will lead you to walk on the right paths in your life.
Promise 3: You are intricately beautiful with purpose.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do. – Ephesians 2:10, CSB
You are the beautiful workmanship of God. It’s more than simply being put here. He crafted and created you for good things which He has already prepared for you. You can walk in freedom knowing who you are, how you were made, and the hope of the good things God has prepared for you to do in your life.
Promise 4: You are secure and blessed by God.
The person who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed. He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit. – Jeremiah 17:7-8, CSB
The uncertainty that comes with insecurity can make you question so many things. But your confidence is in God! You no longer have to worry if you are cared for and secure. When you trust in God, He blesses you with a secure foundation rooted in Him. Your needs are met, even when hardship comes. You will still be blessed because of your trust in the Lord and His care for you.
Promise 5: You are not guilty.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. – Romans 8:1-2, CSB
As a believer who follows God (even imperfectly) you are free. Completely free from all guilt and shame. Jesus and His Spirit within you set you free, absolving you of all condemnation. Even when you sin or face consequences, you can be confident in your freedom because of His grace and forgiveness.
Using God’s promises to find freedom from insecurity.
The Bible is full of promises for you. There are even stories of how God helped people struggling with insecurity. Moses, one of the most notable figures in the Bible, told God about his struggles with not being good enough, and God met him in that place, providing help. God wants to do the same for you.
That’s why these promises are so important. But reading them once probably won’t move the needle too much on your insecurity level. Instead, you need to read them again. Then read them again. And keep reading them. You can even go beyond that to foster a deeper understanding. Try things like reading them aloud, memorizing them, praying them or singing them. Whatever you need to do so these words sink deep into your spirit will help.
The most important piece is to ask God for help. Just like Moses shared his doubts and insecurities with God, the Lord invites you to share yours. Be honest with God about what you feel and struggle with. When you offer your insecurities to Him and welcome Him into that place, He is free to work within you to change those things and bring freedom.
It is in the repetition of reading, hearing, and understanding God’s Word that you will begin, and it is in inviting God to heal those places that you will experience the freedom you desire.
“Flock”, Courtesy of Rowan Heuvel, Unsplash.com, CC0 License; “Orange Flowers”, Courtesy of Henry Be, Unsplash.com, CC0 License; “Tree Tops”, Courtesy of Casey Homer, Unsplash.com, CC0 License; “Sunlit Fields”, Courtesy of Benjamin Davies, Unsplash.com, CC0 License