How many of you have ever felt like you are not worth others time or consideration? Who all has felt like someone else could easily replace you - that you are not as unique and or as special as someone else?
Everyone has felt this way before.
Insecurity is a big problem for our generation. Being insecure can be recognized as not being confident or certain or when you’re just feeling anxious and afraid. Feelings like this make it more difficult for us to show love and to be loved.
How are we supposed to accept Christ if we can’t even accept ourselves? We all have to overcome these things if we want to stand on the firm foundation of Christ.
Today I’m going to share with you three ways to overcome your insecurities:
1. Find out who you are! If you've ever casually been flipping through a magazine while you're waiting for mom or dad to check out at the grocery store, you have seen the biggest reason teenagers today are insecure. Seeing these supermodels in these magazines wearing a size negative extra zero isn't exactly flattering to our own bodies. The lies we see through these magazines about who we should be, how we should look, and what we should wear isn’t good for our hearts.
Not knowing who you are is typically the root of insecurity and when you are a child of God, saved by HIS grace, the Bible says in Romans 8:17 that you are an ‘heir to Christ’ and Jeremiah 31:3 tells us “I love you with an everlasting love.” Our identity is NOT found in the clothes we wear, the friends we have, or even the love in hearts but in the price that Jesus paid.
2. Everybody Makes Mistakes!
I will refrain here from singing that song… by that artist … but nobody is perfect and everybody really does makes mistakes and occasionally someone may lose their way along the way. But some of the things that were once thought of as mistakes are products that we use every day. Potato chips, Post-its, even Bubble Gum. Once, a pharmacist named John Pemberton had this headache. So he mixed together a few ingredients and instead of curing this headache, he invented Coca-Cola.
Mistakes are opportunities to learn and to grow. Paul talks about the struggle in Romans 7:19 and says ‘I want to do what is good but I don’t.
I don’t want to do what is wrong but I do it anyway.’
The enemy is not fighting you because you are weak; the enemy is fighting you because you are strong. So do not be discouraged by a few failures along the way because something that may be a failure today can power you for success tomorrow.
3. Focus on Jesus! I was given the beautiful gift of energy and creativity when Jesus made me, but some people refer to my “gift” as Attention Deficit Disorder, A.D.D. I take medication for this A.D.D. to help me focus, one pill before school and one pill before lunch. Around lunch time, like most other teenagers, I am just starving. I get distracted by this hunger and, sometimes, I’ll forget to take that dose.
Our spiritual focus can sometimes be interrupted by looking at things with worldly eyes. Just like when Jesus calls to Peter in Matthew 14:29-30: “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came towards Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Peter began to focus on the world… the storm around him. Ah, but Jesus! He never took his eyes off of Peter. Don’t let the storms of your life become a distraction when you have a God that calmed the storm and then walked the waters. Instead, just don’t take your eyes off of Jesus.
We can overcome our insecurities today because the creator of the universe, God Himself, loves us! We can be more loving, more joyful, more peaceful...
But if you want to know how you can be certain that God loves you when you are searching (?)
And when you are making mistakes(?)
And when you are sinking in the storms of life(?).
****I’ll tell you how. He proved it! He proved his love by sending His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on a cross for your sins and the sins of this world.
(Calm)
He can restore you today and place you on the firm foundation of Christ.
Just ask Him, (PAUSE) I did!