Merriam-Webster defines the word “insecure” as “not confident or sure,” “not adequately guarded or sustained,” “not fastened or fixed,” “not highly stable or well-adjusted,” “deficient in assurance,” and “beset by fear and anxiety.” So, based on that definition, it’s safe to say that insecurity is not something we want.

But is it normal and commonplace in the world we live in? Absolutely.

Insecurity affects all of us in some way. Some insecurities are ones we can brush off; others are ones we can’t shake as easily. If I were to try to list the insecurities of everyone on this earth, this post would be far too long, and there still wouldn’t be enough room. The bottom line is that whether we know it – or even acknowledge it – or not, we have insecurity in our lives.

But how should we handle insecurity as Christians? How should we address it? How should we react to insecurity, even when it feels as though we can’t do certain things because of it?

When insecurities frustrate us, we should talk to God about them.

Sometimes, I’m impatient or frustrated with myself because of my own insecurities. It’s in these moments that I feel that God is reaching out to me to talk to Him most, and I feel that it’s the same with all of us. God truly wants us to talk to Him; after all, that’s why He sent His Son to intercede for us (Romans 8:26-27; Hebrews 7:25). He also wants us specifically to cast our cares upon Him, because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). Based on the evidence we find in His Word, there’s absolutely no reason for us to bottle our insecurities up and keep them to ourselves, because the God who loves us wants us to share everything – both good and bad – with Him.

When insecurities make us sad, we should talk about them with others.

Speaking of sharing, it’s also important to talk about our insecurities with others. I’m certainly not suggesting that we tell every complete stranger about our insecurities; it’s hard enough sometimes to open up about things to those close to us as it is. I’m just suggesting that we consider talking to someone we trust about our insecurities, whether they’re our family members, close friends, or even members of our church family. They’re likely to have advice to help you, and it’s also likely that they have dealt with similar or the same insecurities themselves. It’s a blessing that we’re able to fellowship with our Christian brothers and sisters in this way because of the unity we share as one body in Christ (Ephesians 4:1-3).

When insecurities threaten to bring us down, maybe we should consider thinking outwards.

It’s very easy to feel bogged down by what we think we can’t do. But consider this: how often are we worried about the things we can’t do that we forget to be doing the things we can do?

Think of the Parable of the Talents found in Matthew 25:14-30. There were three men charged with their master’s money; two were able to make good profits through their endeavors, while one buried the money. The two who profited were rewarded, and the one man who didn’t even bother to invest his money was rebuked. Why did the third man bury his money? His explanation to his master was thus: “Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground” (Matthew 25:24-25, emp. added).

So, all this being said, are we burying what we know we can do because we’re afraid of something going wrong, or our shortcomings getting in the way? Are we making excuses as to why we can’t do something in service to Him? This shouldn’t be the case, dear readers. Our service to God shouldn’t be hindered by our own fear.

So, at the end of the day, we shouldn’t allow our insecurities to keep us from sharing our whole selves with God, trusting others, or keeping us from service to Him. It’s absolutely okay to have insecurities; after all, we’re human, and we’re not going to be perfect or even confident in ourselves all the time. It’s just not okay to allow those insecurities to keep us from the God who loves us as we are, faults and all. And because He loves us, we should love others in the same way.

By Savannah Cottrell