We know that God desires us in the body of Christ to live together in unity, but many things hinder that from happening. One tactic of the enemy is INSECURITY, which can cause division and destruction in relationships. Feelings of self-doubt and lack of confidence can overwhelm us, causing us to lose focus on God’s plan for our lives. The enemy uses insecurity to try and stop us from uniting and being effective for God. We can recognize insecurity in ourselves by these patterns of thinking:

•  Am I comparing myself to others? This gives us a false view of ourselves and of others as well. We often compare our looks, education or bank account to others and think we fall short in one way or another. Comparison can bring about an unhealthy competition in relationships. Someone else’s appearance, possessions or talents do not determine our value! We need to learn to be ourselves and celebrate our differences!
• Am I trying to be perfect? We often place unreasonable expectations on ourselves and on others. As children of God, our perfection comes from Him, and not from our outward appearance or accomplishments. We want to look to God for approval and not man. The Bible tells us in Philippians 3:3 that we are to rejoice in Christ and have no confidence in the flesh.
• Am I living with shame? Our insecurities are often driven by our feelings of shame and condemnation. This can ruin unity in relationships, as we often tend to push people away because we think we aren’t good enough. This is another LIE of the devil because the Bible tells us that there is NO condemnation in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). We want to be like Paul, who was able to forget the past and reach forward to the things ahead (Philippians 3:13&14).
• Am I afraid of what others will say or think? We often make assumptions of what others think of us, and this can cause division and separation. Often our assumption isn’t even accurate! Proverbs 29:25 tells us that the fear of man brings a snare (in other words, it is a trap of the enemy!), but whoever trusts in the Lord will be safe.

The truth is, we are not created for self-confidence, but God-confidence. The Bible tells us that we are made righteous through Christ and that we can do all things through Him, because He strengthens us. We already have acceptance and right-standing with God himself!! He loves us completely and unconditionally! We don’t have to earn it, and we don’t have to strive for acceptance or approval from people.

So, no more self-doubt, put-downs or agreeing with the devil. God has invested EVERYTHING in you because He values you and loves you deeply. That makes YOU special…very special! The truth is, we will believe what we tell ourselves more than something somebody else says about us. So, we need to start recognizing what we are telling ourselves and start agreeing with God!

As we spend quiet time with God this week, let’s ask Him to search our hearts in this area of insecurity.

1. Do you struggle with insecurity? In what areas? What lies of the enemy have you been believing?
2. What does Galatians 6:4 tell you about comparing yourself to others?
3. Do you often seek the approval of others more than God? How does Galatians 1:10 speak to you about that?
4. What have you learned about guilt and shame? Read Proverbs 23:7 for more insight.
5. What does 2 Timothy 1:7 tell you about fear?

Remember, you are a child of God! He loves you dearly! And, as a child of God, security is your inheritance (Isaiah 54:17)! We will stop the enemy’s attempt to sabotage our efforts of uniting with God and with others when we recognize and deal with insecurity in our hearts, replacing it with the truth about who we are. This is also when we will begin to walk in God’s purposes for our lives! Let’s be women who rise up, take our thoughts captive and replace them with the truth of God’s Word! Our unity as believers, fulfilling our God-given destiny and the next generation of young women depend on it!