The Birthplace of Insecurity
We often wonder where do insecurities come from. We wonder who else in our family possibly experiences these moments of extreme self-doubt and feelings of uncertainty. Who in our immediate circles constantly wonders, "will I ever be good enough?" Doubts constantly filling our hearts and minds until anxiety completely overwhelms them. But the truth is that this problem can be traced back to the very beginning. You see, our original birth mother: Mama E-V-E, also struggled with insecurity. Self-doubt was created in the garden by slimy, sleazy serpent satan himself. The first moment is Genesis 3:1, "... Did God really say..." That makes Eve go "hmmmm." NOW for the first time she questions her certainty and clarity. How many of us ask ourselves that question about things that we know full well He said? We reason in our minds, "Well did He really? Maybe I misheard. Maybe He meant something else." Then we're left screaming God help me out of this confusion I caused myself to be in by doubting what You said in the first place!
In Genesis 3:5-6 we see that Eve now doubts the motives of God: in whom she should have all security, now becomes her being of uncertainty. Satan tells her that though God said you will surely die, you will not. God simply knows that you will be just like Him and He doesn't want that to happen. And like us, when we are captivated by things of our eyes, heart, and mind, we can't think of the goodness of God in that moment. We can't remember how faithful He is, simply that we can't have whatever He said no to. We become filled with thoughts like "Why doesn't God want this for me? Why can't I ever get the things I want?" But how many times is a no from God anything other than His glorious mercy on display? We don't lack because He wants us to be without, but rather because He is covering us from the things we are too blind to see will come after. Throughout Genesis, the rest of the Bible, and the history of man, we can see how that one sin created a domino effect for us all to follow.
Before that moment one thing was certain, they lacked nothing. Adam and Eve had each other and God. One would think "what more would they need?" But satan, foe disguised as friend, was able to slither his way in and magnify the doubts within Eve. Doubts that she wasn't even aware existed before he presented them. Even now Satan will use our friends and family, the very people that are supposed to uplift and encourage us, to create seeds of doubts and insecurities. Oh and please notice that both eyes were not opened until AFTER Eve took the fruit to Adam. See how the devil will use his tactics to not only drag you down, but he gets you to now be the instrument he uses in bringing down those attached to you. But, like Peter when Jesus told the disciples of the things to come in His being captured, crucified, and resurrected, Jesus in-turn rebuked Peter for rebuking the things of God saying, "Get behind me, Satan." He's saying devil I see you masked as someone that I know and love, but I SEE YOU! And your schemes will not work on me. You will not create doubt in my mind about the plan God has for me. You will not stir up insecurities within me and get me off my course. "You are a hindrance!" FLEE! (Matthew 16:21-23) Yasssss!!! Tell 'em Jesus! Yassss!
How do insecurities manifest? It starts with a whisper. This faint voice that says, "Hey! Look at the one thing you can't have. Even with all the things you do have, let's magnify the ONE (literally for Eve) thing that God has denied you until it consumes you and you become fixated and determined to have it!" Isn't that our nature? To see what others have and say I want it! Even when it's not ours to have i.e. singles going after married individuals, being sneaky and conniving on the job to get someone fired because we want their position, etc. (Sorry, not sorry. I HAD to say it!) What started as a whisper is now a loud overbearing shout that annoyingly rings in the ear like an itch desperate to be scratched. At the root, these are all insecurities. How they manifest themselves will differ between individuals, but the root is the same. We think surely once this is mine it will make me happy, complete and fulfill me, but often times it is the very thing that dooms us. Thus, we constantly repeat the patterns of our ancestors. That, in itself, MUST be uprooted.
After their encounter they doubted God, each other, maybe even the fruit. I can imagine them walking around looking at the animals man himself named, thinking like little red riding hood, "my what big teeth you have." Just completely paranoid. Thoughts consuming them that before doubt were non-existent. And it's the same way in our own lives! A little doubt makes way for extreme insecurities to consume us and take over, whether it be within ourselves, on our jobs, in our relationships, in school, and even in church. Don't believe me? Here are a few examples:
1. Brother and sister are shooting hoops outside. Just being kids having fun. Dad comes and keeps raving about how great the brother is, but he says nothing about her. Neither good nor bad. But his lack of acknowledgement makes her wonder "am I good enough? Does he love him more than me? I never see him smile that way when he speaks of me! Why doesn't he ever encourage me like that?"
2. Two students in the same high school are applying for the same scholarships at the same colleges. Undoubtedly, they go down the list as to why they will pick the other over them: I have great grades, but they have great leadership skills and extracurriculars. I'm book smart, but they'll nail the interview process because of their great personality. My parents are nothing special. They'll probably get it anyway because of who their parents are. Now we are wondering, Should I even bother with applying?
3. New girl at work gets friendly with your boyfriend, calling him bro... I'm going to stop there because ladies we already know what that breeds so I won't even go there.
4. Church mothers are fighting over who made the best cake at the bake sale. Pastor tells one hers was amazing and the other he just said it was good. Y'all already know how church mothers get ESPECIALLY about their food. Have one mother ready to knock the other's hat off. So, enough said.
All of these are devices and tricks of the enemy! Tools strategically used to shift our faith and focus and turn us to downcast and distraught. Things that inevitably breed destruction rather than the newness of life that our God promises!
How do you combat thoughts of insecurities? Fill up on the things of God! Stir up your faith! I'm a big music person so I will throw on some Gospel or Contemporary Christian worship music or some Gospel rap (no judgement saints) and constantly let that play in my ears. A good faith-based podcast or YouTube channel always helps too. Read a blog *cough cough*. That means turn off the things of the world and turn ON the things of God. It's really hard to focus on the things you're lacking or what you're not good at or whatever your insecurity is when you're praising God for the things He has done. The enemy attacks us when we are down. Like a bird in flight, the real danger is oftentimes on the ground! When you come down, that's when he's there ready and waiting. But fear not! You're prayed up, been worshiping hard in the paint, so you've got this! Like Jesus after his 40 days of fasting in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). Jesus stood there, the epitome of unbothered, like COME AT ME BRO! I'm sooooo ready for you!
John 10:5 says that His sheep know his voice and, "a voice of a stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." Isaiah 54:17 says, "No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue against you in judgement. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord." This is where you shout people! Rejoice! These verses are for YOU, child of God. Just because the devil is whispering, that doesn't mean that we have to entertain him. We combat every lie from a stranger with the truth and power from our Father! Everything that he says we aren't, we remember the things that He says we are! Everything that lying devil says that we are, we declare by the word of God that we are NOT! Be encouraged Kings and Queens as our victory is our inherited vindication. It is our birthright as children of the Kingdom! If you're feeling low, battling insecurities and self doubt, fill up on faith. Fill up on the word. Study the manual He left for us. Tap into the power that He has provided and the promises of God so that you can readily combat the attacks of the enemy. I will leave scriptures below for you to read during those moments of uncertainty to reclaim your mind and to be secure in Him. God loves you more than you will ever know! Stay strong! Be blessed!
Prayer and Declaration:
Doubts and insecurities we rebuke you RIGHT NOW in the name of Jesus! You are not the things that our Father had planned for us, but rather the adversary and we combat you by declaring the things of God. And we declare and decree death to insecurity, death to comparisons, death to doubt, death to feelings and thoughts that we aren't good enough, death to self-hate, death to questioning our Father for He is for us and not against us, death to things that are not of God. We declare today that insecurity is uprooted! It will not consume us. Devil you will not win as our victory in the end has been declared from the beginning, just like your demise. Flee from us! In Jesus' name. AMEN!
Amber Jones
Scriptures to combat insecurity, fear, anxiety, & doubt:
Ps 34:17, Isa 41:10, Ps 30:5, Ps 9:9, Jer 29:11, Matt 11:28-30, Phil 4:19, Rom 8:37, Ps 63:8, Isa 40:31, Ps 37:23-24, Jn 16:33, Neh 8:10, Ps 42:5, Hos 6:1, 2 Tim 1:7, Phil 4:13, Lk 18:27, Jn 3:16, Prov 3:5-6, Rom 8:1-2, 2 Cor 9:8, 2 Cor 12:9, Heb 13:5, 1 Kings 19, Jn 1:12, 1 Cor 6:19-20, Col 2:10, Eph 1:5, Rom 8:28, Phil 1:6, 1 Jn 5:18, 1 Co. 3:16, Jn 15:16, Matt 5:13-14