In a Moment, Insecurity Will Disappear

God is our Fortress, and true security comes only from Him

Do you ever feel insecure? I’m not talking about insecure in your salvation, but personally or emotionally insecure. Maybe you lack confidence. Maybe you doubt yourself. You experience anxiety in certain situations or you fear rejection or abandonment. You find yourself constantly worried about what others think of you.

All of us experience insecurity from time to time, and we experience it in many different ways. Insecurity stems from circumstances in our lives and the emotions these cause. Some people respond to insecurity by turning to God, while others turn away from Him.

We always have a choice. When you encounter insecurity, you can either allow God to work in your life or you can give the devil free reign to work in your life.

When facing insecurity, you might try to find false security in other things. Or, you can find true security in Christ Jesus. He is the only real cure for insecurity.

Security from Money?

In our culture, of course, many of us try to find security outside our faith in Jesus. One of the most popular ways for people to seek security is from money. In fact, we actually use the term “securities” to talk about financial instruments.

Money is not a bad thing in itself, but if you think money is what makes your secure, then you will be disappointed. Jesus talked about the “deceitfulness of riches” in Matthew 13:22. Money is important, and it can be a blessing, but only Christ can make you truly secure.

This is what Paul told the Philippians:

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.—Philippians 4:11-12

The word translated into “be abased” means living on almost nothing. “Abound” means living with everything you ever wanted. What Paul is saying is that, if Jesus is in your life, you can have security regardless of how much money is in your bank account. You can have security if you have nothing and you can have security if you have everything.

Security from Appearance?

Some people seek security from the way they look. Even believers can fall into this trap—including pastors! We want to look our best, but we need to be honest with ourselves: All of us will age, and our looks will eventually change.

All you have to do is look at the very obvious plastic surgery some celebrities have had and you’ll realize that some of the most beautiful people in our culture suffer from personal insecurity and low self-esteem. They are trying to find security by holding onto or augmenting their own attractiveness.

The beauty industry itself can be quite brutal and exploitive in the way it treats women, which is a shame. Real beauty does not only come from appearance. If you are looking to your attractiveness as a source of security, you will eventually be disappointed.

Security from Comparison?

Another major cause of insecurity comes from “comparing up.” This is our attempt to find security by being like others in our community or like the people we admire. You might hear this described as “keeping up with the Joneses.”

Think of it this way: Some people will drive into a parking lot and immediately notice nicer cars than the one they are driving. Many of those same people feel tormented by that experience. The fact that their vehicle doesn’t measure up to another vehicle causes them to feel bad about themselves. They feel insecure.

This is related to money, but it’s not entirely about money. This is related to appearance, but it’s not entirely about appearance.

It’s about not standing out in our society. We don’t want to be different. We would rather match up with people we admire.

Instead of falling into the trap of comparing up, I recommend occasionally “comparing down.” This means becoming aware of those who have not experienced the same blessings you have. When you go through life with this mindset, you will find yourself constantly giving God thanks for what He has allowed you to have.

Even better, just give up the habit of comparison altogether.

Our Refuge and Safety

God wants believers to think differently from the world. That means we stop searching for security in fleeting things like money or looks. Instead we turn to God. Psalm 91 provides God’s antidote for insecurity:

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”
—Psalm 91:1-2

When the psalmist say the Lord is our refuge and fortress, he is saying God should be our place of safety. God is our source of security—nothing else. When you turn to Him, you realize that money, relationships and other people can never be reliable sources of security.

The psalmist continues by telling of God’s great promises:

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
8 Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
10 No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
12 In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
—Psalm 91:3-13

The psalmist knows his security is in God. The Lord promised to be with him, to protect him from harm, and to trample down his enemies. This is a man who does not have to live with fear and insecurity, because he knows God will fight for him.

The psalm ends by proclaiming God as the ultimate source of security:

“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.”
—Psalm 91:14-16

What encouraging words those are, especially coming from God!

• “I will be with him in trouble.”

• “I will deliver him and honor him.”

• “I will…show him My salvation.”

These are God’s promises to us even now. When Jesus returns, our insecurity will change forever. It will disappear.

We will see Him for who He is. We will no longer need money. We will no longer worry about our appearance. We will no longer compare ourselves to others.

He will be our salvation, and all insecurity will melt into the security we have in Him. What a glorious day that will be!