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The heartbeat of the Bible is grace and yet all too often we forget to apply it to our own lives. I’ve been pondering this whole insecurity issue and how women everywhere can relate to the feeling. It doesn’t matter what task we take on, we require ourselves to reach a level of perfection. Most of us never attain it.
How much we weigh plagues us. We worry about what our hair looks like, our clothes, jewelry, shoes… Is the house clean enough? Was the dinner party successful? Are the kids thriving? Is my husband happy? These examples are just the tip of the iceberg. I could probably list hundreds more if I tried.
Insecurities, minor or major, can hinder our ability to minister effectively. Thoughts can easily creep in to our minds which cause us to doubt what we have to offer God. And sometimes, insecurity can be birthed from past sins. We begin thinking we are not good enough to minister because of what we’ve done. It is simply not true.
Insecurity causes us to look at ourselves through eyes absent of grace.
1 Corinthians 15:9-10
For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. (N.K.J.V.)
The apostle Paul actually persecuted the church. He killed Christians, and God still used him. Grace covered Paul. And do you know what? Grace covers me and it covers you just the same. Regardless of what we’ve done, what we look like, or how clean our houses are, grace covers us. We need to let go of the insecurities we feel, forgive ourselves for past wrongs, and set our eyes on the things above.
Colossians 3:1-4
If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
Pursue Christ with everything you have. Do not let your gifts become hindered because of insecurity. Allow grace to cover you…
Do you have a tendency to look at yourself through eyes absent of grace? If so, how are you working to change your view?
Yes, I do have that tendency. 🙂 Hm…. I think one of the big things that will help me is memorizing more scriptures about how God feels about me, and about who I am in Christ. Because it’s hard for my heart to believe what my mind tells me, but it’s a lot easier when it’s aided by the undeniability of Scripture! And if I have it memorized, it will be a lot easier to call to mind and say with my mouth than if I have to look it up. Hehe. Thanks for this encouraging post!
Hi Hannah. Scripture memorization is definitely key! Thanks for reading:)
Awesome post. I’m really working on the “looking at my eyes through grace” concept for myself. I allow it for others but not for myself, it seems indulgent, I suppose, and I know the darkness of my heart at times…but then I realize that I’m trying to do God’s job…and He does it much better than I do.
I think we all feel this way at times. We need to stay humble, but not allow humility to be disguised as pride and work to be who God wants us to be through His eyes of grace.
Lookin at the image of a reflection from a compact mirror, I can see the analogy of insecurity. Do I look fine? Is my hair perfect? Always checking and peering into a mirror and retouching. Oh, it resounds here but not so much though.
When I was a baby Christian, I learned first from Paul because that is the first book one is given by a minister. Then I studied Job and David. I could relate so much to Paul because I wasn’t born into a biblical home. We thought then that nothing could please God and that He was perfect. Then I knew that Christ is my perfection and I am a daughter of a King, a princess nonetheless!
Thanks for this beautiful post.
Beautiful thoughts, Lolita:).