Finding Security in God

 "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
   my hope comes from him.
 He alone is my rock and my salvation;
   he is my fortress, I will not be shaken" 
Psalm 62:5-6

We are a people who tend to worry. We worry about about whether or not we remembered to set the alarm clock for the correct time. We worry about not having enough time. We worry about not having enough money. We worry about whether or not our boss will notice us strolling into work a few minutes late. We worry about what clothes to wear. We worry about whether or not the person we just met enjoyed our company. Let's face it: insecurities have, at one point or another, ruled our lives.

Several months ago, I witnessed a woman getting measurements taken at a dress shop. When the seamstress told the woman what size she needed, the woman burst into tears because the number was larger than she expected. Why do numbers have such an affect on individuals? Why do others' opinions control how we look and act? Why do insecurities cripple us? The good news is: They don't have to.

Most insecurities are able to be classified in one of two categories: uncertainty and image. When we worry about whether or not we will have sufficient money to pay the bills, or getting into college, or getting a job, or finding a spouse, we are insecure about the uncertainty that the future holds. When we worry about whether or not our professors or bosses like us, or how we did in the interview, or how much we weigh, or what to wear, we are insecure about our image. Insecurities are everywhere. I imagine that Satan certainly enjoys using these little tools to keep us from our Creator. Insecurities are detrimental to our faith because insecurities cause us to worry, and worry is the opposite of faith.

In Isaiah 7:9, the Lord says, "If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all." Thus, we have a responsibility to combat our insecurities. This sounds so simple, yet application can be extremely difficult. We can even be insecure about our abilities to rid ourselves of insecurity. Before we realize it, Satan has woven us into a tangled web of self destruction that we refuse to believe we will ever be freed from. Gratefully, God's word can provide that freedom.

Insecurities that stem from uncertainty have a simple Biblical solution. In the famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches about worry. He says, "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:26). In other words, if you think you are more valuable than a bird, then start acting like it! Birds do not worry about uncertainty, so you shouldn't either! Instead of putting your hope in what is uncertain, put your hope in God.

Insecurities that come from image are generally tougher to tackle. Our flesh tends to lie to us when it comes to self-image. And no, contrary to popular belief, this concept does not apply solely to women. Men can have just as many (if not more) image-based insecurities as women. I've known men with eating disorders, others who are addicted to working out, and others who take longer than the average woman to get ready in the morning. [As an aside, let me assure you, it does not make you any less of a man to be insecure about your image; It simply makes you human!] Regardless of what type of self-image you have, the Bible teaches that beauty is within. First Samuel 16:7 says, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Sure, we can read this Scripture over and over again and still dislike ourselves. Our culture has set a standard for beauty, and even though that standard is a complete lie, we buy into it and refuse to let go. In a self defense class I took in college, the professor asked the class what would be safer: to walk home at night on a sidewalk or through an field. After all of the students answered with the sidewalk option, the professor corrected us. He explained that many times, sidewalks are lined up against bushes, streets, or buildings where it would be possible for an attacker to hide, sneak up on you, and take you out of sight in a matter of seconds. In a field, you would have the advantage of being able to spot an attacker long before any physical contact may occur. My perspective was shifted. The world was telling me that the sidewalk was the safer place, when in reality, that was not necessarily true. The world tells us how to define beauty, when in reality, the world's definition is flawed. The world certainly has us fooled.

I recently finished reading the book of Job, and since then, I cannot stop thinking about the Lord's monologue in Job 38-39 when God challenges Job with questions. He asks, "Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?" and says, "Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this." In a nutshell, the Lord is scolding Job for complaining and trying to justify his own righteousness rather than trusting in God. Something tells me that if God were to come down and speak on the topic of worldly beauty it would go something like this: "Who are you, world, to define beauty? Who are you, world, to claim that people should be a certain size or should dress a certain way? Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?" I would imagine that these questions would go on for quite a while as God makes His point clear.

We can cling to worldly things and people who make us feel secure, but if they get pulled away, were they ever secure to begin with? If your security comes from your job, what happens when you get laid off? If your security comes from a significant other, what happens when you break up? If your security comes from having a nice car, what happens when it gets stolen? False security is the source of insecurities! Quit relying on false security, and start relying on God. Let Him be your fortress. With Him, you will not be shaken.