You Can Overcome Spiritual, Mental and Physical Insecurities With Scripture!
Insecurities. At some time, everyone struggles with them. Words and emotions swirl in our heads whispering that we are not spiritual enough, smart enough, attractive enough or some other “not enough.” All these whispers have something in common—they are all lies straight from the pit of hell. Left unchecked, they threaten to choke out the Word, paralyze us and leave us ineffective in the Body of Christ. If you find yourself tired of succumbing to insecurities, there’s good news—God’s Word can overcome them every time they tempt you!
Discerning Truth From Lies
In 1 John, we find a beautiful promise from God that “perfect love casts out all fear” (1 John 4:18, NKJV). Then in Romans, we are reminded there is “no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). From Genesis to Revelation, God assures His people—us—that He is with us in the valley as well as on the mountaintop, and that nothing can separate us from His love. Of course, the enemy works to convince us otherwise. He constantly shoots arrows of doubt and fear into our minds, attempting to discredit the promises and nature of God. He knows he can’t take away our salvation (John 10:28-29), but if he can get us to forget who we are in Christ, he can severely hamper our effectiveness. As with anything in our lives that don’t match up with God’s Word, our spirits need to become quick to recognise where lies, insecurities, and fears are scrambling for a foothold. Then we should combat them by proclaiming God’s truth and resisting the enemy (Psalm 91 and James 4:7). In doing so, we put God and His Word in the proper perspective and are in a position to remove insecurities and walk in security and courage.
Here are three common areas of insecurities and ways to address them:
1. Spiritual Insecurities
Spiritual insecurities can come from many places: the enemy, circumstances, even our own limited understanding. They can also arise during certain seasons like:
- Times of prayer and fasting
- The launch of a new venture or ministry
- Times of weakness or fatigue
- Following a personal victory.
When we find ourselves heading into or out of one of these seasons, we should ask God to prepare our hearts and guard our minds. It’s not about getting to a place where we’ve outgrown the attacks, but instead recognising them and replacing the lies with God’s Word.
Here are some examples that might sound familiar:
- Lie: If God really loved me, He would do “x.”
- Truth: “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” –1 John 4:9-10
Everything God does for His children is born out of love. God was faithful in giving His Son, Jesus, for us; therefore, we can trust Him to continue to be faithful to us, regardless of the circumstance or situation.
- Lie: Everyone else can hear God for himself, but not me.
- Truth: “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me…. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” –John 10:14, 27
God’s Spirit lives within His children. We can ask the Holy Spirit to help us hear and obey His voice. Then as we submit to Him and listen, we will begin to develop our ability to hear.
2. Mental Insecurities
Our spirits and minds are closely connected, and if our spirits are flagging, chances are our minds are, too. Just like we daily brush and floss our teeth, we must daily brush and floss our minds with the Word of God, removing any debris that doesn’t belong.
- Lie: I’m not smart or competent enough.
- Truth: “We have the mind of Christ.”–1 Corinthians 2:16
If we have “the mind of Christ,” then God can equip us for whatever task or trial we face.
- Lie: I always fail in “x” area.
- Truth: “The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.” –Proverbs 24:16
Yes, we will fail and mess up, but that’s not the end of the story. God’s Spirit enables us to get back up and keep moving forward.
Insecurities can also be intensified by those around us, so it may be helpful to examine our friends and companions. What kind of insecurities do they exhibit, and are they trying to project them on us? Examine the levels of toxicity in their conversation and attitudes, and decide if we can change those things for the better, or if we need to remove ourselves from the mix.
3. Physical Insecurities
What do we tell ourselves when we look in the mirror? What words come to mind as our eyes seemingly find every shortcoming, blemish, and flaw? It’s been proven that we reserve some of the harshest words for ourselves. The words we tell ourselves in the mirror are often words we would never tell a parent, a sibling, a boss or a best friend.
The Word tells us that our bodies are temples of the living God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). It also tells us that we are responsible for the words we speak (Matthew 12:36). We are accountable for each word we speak and each action we take in regards to our bodies. It matters that we take good care of ourselves. It matters that we nourish our bodies with good food. It matters that we exercise, not because we are trying to be better than someone else, or look a certain way to gain worth, but because we honour God for the price He has paid to have a relationship with us.
- Lie: You are too fat/thin/tall/short/etc.
- Truth: “The very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” –Luke 12:7
God created each of us. Yes, we should respect our bodies by caring for them properly, but we must recognise (and appreciate) that we were created uniquely special by our heavenly Father, and He delights in us.
- Lie: Because I look/don’t look a certain way, I’m not as worthy or useful as the next person.
- Truth: “The Lord said to Samuel, ‘Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’” –1 Samuel 16:7
God doesn’t judge like humans do. He sees your heart and soul as the most valuable part of you, and your worth isn’t dependent upon your appearance. At the heart of so many insecurities is the fear we are not enough to be used by God. But Jesus is more than enough. And in Him, so are we. Second Corinthians 9:8 says, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work” (KJV). If we will allow it, God is able to weave together our strengths and imperfections to accomplish His will. While it is not natural human instinct to boast about weaknesses or relish in shortcomings, that’s exactly what God tells us to do because, as believers, we know that it is not our strength that matters, it’s His. His grace is all we need, and His power works best in our weakness, knowing that the power of Christ can and will work in us (2 Corinthians 12:9)!