Less than or equal to?

Have you ever been in a situation where you thought you were not as good as the people around you? Or were you secretly jealous because someone else was getting all the attention? I guess that happens to everyone on some level. We are human. We all have insecurities. 

Insecurity is just a trick of the mind that has the potential to keep us from doing the things God has called us to do. There will always be people who are more talented, thinner, richer, younger, more beautiful or more entertaining than we are. We can't allow ourselves to be immobilized by knowing this as a constant fact. Being aware of the strong giftings of others, and knowing that our value does not come from our comparisons with others leads us to our actual self-worth.

This is true humility: recognizing our shortcomings but still maintaining a healthy dose of self-confidence. Insecurity is an emotional interpretation, not an objective evaluation, of our abilities. So, in theory, two people with the same abilities and skill levels can have different types and depths of insecurity. Scripture tells us in Jeremiah 17:9 (MSG), "The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure out."

Our emotions are not reliable and our perspective is skewed.

Still there is hope! Insecurity can be overcome with time, patience and a gradual realization that our own worth is purely a matter of how God sees each of us. He loves you! He has a specific purpose in mind for you. Kari Jobe sings, "I know that You are for me!" Yes, He is! We can't see behind the scenes, so we have to believe and trust that God is for us. He is really working on our behalf all the time and we are, for the most part, unaware.

My prayer today is for everyone who has been wounded in such a way that may have left them feeling "less than." I pray we allow God the space and time to mend those places. If we can possibly believe that God loves us and will not leave us in our weakness then we might believe that He can also use us to affect others in a very positive way. Don't be intimidated by others. Let God be your support system. He is for you!

"Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others."

Galatians 6:4 (MSG)

-Paula