Insecurity

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10

Insecurity-noun-lack of confidence or assurance; self doubt.

As women, there are so many areas that we are vulnerable to attack. Our own feeling of self-worth is one of those big areas.

I have gone back and forth with feelings of inadequacy in my married life. My husband's mother is an excellent cook and kept the house spotless. Those are things I struggle with, especially the spotless house thing. I seriously don't know how women with young children keep a house clean all the time. Is it possible? In my mind, it is, and I certainly can't live up to it because the minute I have a room clean, someone is spilling something on the floor or messing up my laundry piles I had just so nicely folded.

Insecurity also creeps into my world when I see a new mother who doesn't seem to struggle with getting the extra weight off. I wish I could lose the weight like that, but I haven't, and feelings of self-doubt take over. Relationships are another big one. With so many moves and a bunch of painful experiences of rejection, I have had times where I wonder if I am even worthy of friendship.

While I don't see myself as a big ball of insecurity all the time, I can honestly say that I struggle with some area of self-doubt on regular basis, and I think being a wife and a mother gives me plenty of opportunity. But as I study God's word and know God more, I have learned that when I am in the depths of insecurity in my own life, it is also a time when I am not trusting God enough to know that He has chosen me, appointed me to do something good in this life. In fact, He prepared it for me before time even began. And with His help, I can overcome those insecurities. I can't do it on my own, but when I put my fears in His hands, things change.

When I root my self-worth in anything other than God, I am severely limiting the gifts He has given me to be the wife, mother, follower of Christ, friend, daughter that He has planned for me to be. So I have to daily choose to root my worth and security in Christ alone and nothing else. In that comes freedom to be the woman God has made me to be, and it finally feels good to loose those chains of insecurity!

Dear God . . . please replace my insecurities with the secure hope of your love and grace. Help me to put my trust in you instead of in myself or in this world.