Insecurity.

We girls can sure struggle with this, can’t we?

I was fine from about K-4th, then I went through an awkward stage, how about you?

It was fifth grade, weighed more than I care to say, and was first in my circle of friends to get my period. Oh. My. Word.

No fifth grade girl should have to endure such awkwardness. My first taste of insecurity.

Who knew tampons had been around since antiquity? I didn’t. I endured the dreaded belt and pad. I equate it to wearing a diaper, and I may be a slightly bow-legged to this day. I think mom was afraid of tampons, so it was like Christmas when I finally discovered them. I know, TMI.

Fast forward a few years, and the awkward stage passes, praise God (although my mom still has pictures, Lord help us).

I moved to Florida.

New school, new friends, new challenges, new insecurities.

I stopped eating lunch in ninth grade.

True, I wanted to be thin like the photo-shopped magazine girls, but I didn’t have an eating disorder.

It was because I dreaded going up to the lunch line. I feared dropping my tray, being stared at, having my clothing scrutinized. That bully Insecurity stole my lunch.

Perhaps you have similar childhood memories, or maybe your insecurity stems from harder issues, like abuse or neglect. Maybe it caused a real eating disorder, or some other hurtful byproduct.

Our only hope? Trust God, and ask Him to free us of our insecurity, because insecurity is all about self, and it redirects focus away from God. That doesn’t mean we don’t hurt people, and people haven’t hurt us. Hurting hurts, and experiences can shatter our lives like glass across a tile floor.

God takes a shattered life and rearranges the shards into something new.  Something beautiful.

And this: We’ve got to stop comparing ourselves to that other girl. You know that girl who seems to have it all together?

Don’t judge a book…

We never know what others are struggling with, and I imagine even the got-it-all together girls struggle with insecurity too.

Let’s not just sit here and take it:

When we come down on ourselves, go to that woe is me place of insecurity, let’s stop and allow the dots to connect.

We can say:

I’m feeling insecure about ___________________ because ____________________________, but God’s Word tells me in Christ I am a new creation; I am fearfully and wonderfully made; I am a child of God; and my security is in Him, who provides all my needs; and I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.

Now say this:

When I allow my insecurity to overwhelm me,  I miss becoming the woman God is calling me to be. Through Christ I can overcome my insecurity, and live out my purpose as the woman He created me to be.

Such confidence we have through Christ toward God.  Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God,  2 Corinthians 3:4-5

We are confident through Christ, and our adequacy is from God.

Insecurity doesn’t come from God. He doesn’t call us to a life of insecurity, He calls us to a life of humility.

Let’s throw insecurity out with the trash where it belongs.

Have you struggled with insecurity?