Nothing will reveal your insecure heart like stepping out to start something new. Over time to the entrepreneurial adrenaline rush of the vision dissipates and you are faced with the reality that you have to make your dream come to life.
I am insecure. (sleepless nights, worry, fear, comparison, etc)
You are insecure. (come on, you know you are!)
We rarely admit our insecurity, so we are left to fight this emotional monster in isolation. Insecurity is normal and brutally destructive at the same time and if not confronted can hold all of us back from God’s best for our life, the people we serve, and the organizations we lead.
As I try to confront my insecurity I am reminded that these feelings of inadequacy are not what God believes about me or the mission He has called me too. These worries and fears that I have flow from my own sinful heart and not the heart of God. God’s perspective looks more like this…
Joshua 1:9 (NLT)
9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
and this…
Romans 8:37 (NLT)
37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
or this…
Galatians 2:20 (NLT)
20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
I have to choose to battle my own insecurity every morning. The need is even more critical as I plant a church. I have to choose to systematically fight insecurity and here are 6 steps I am taking to push back the voices that drag me away from God’s work and God’s call in my life. I am…
- Guarding my Spiritual Input / The amount of effort I put into increasing my spiritual input through prayer and engaging the Bible has a powerful impact on my insecurity. As I input God’s truth and God’s guidance through prayer I confront the lies of insecurity. I must make this spiritual pursuit my main effort of battling insecurity because it’s the same path Jesus walked as he pulled away from the crowd to be with his Father!
- Fighting for Physical Health / My physical health has a direct impact on my emotional health. I am fighting back insecurity by making exercise and healthy eating a major focus on this season. My physical effort clears my mind and soul to grasp the reality of God’s work in a clearer manner.
- Leading in Community / I am working to make sure I am leading with the team God has placed around me and not out in front in isolation. I am trying to ask questions, get advice, and empower this small crazy team that has moved here to plant this church. I am one part of a bigger move of God. As the leader, I have to avoid the trap of leading alone and carrying too much on my shoulders.
- Changing Negative Self Talk / The most influential voice in my life is the voice in my head. I can be my own worst enemy. When I am thinking insecure thoughts I have to change the story. I must take time to listen to the voice in my head and change the story if that voice has embraced a lie.
- Leveraging My Calendar / I have to set goals. I have to choose productivity. I am in control of my calendar so I have to use it to make sure I am doing what matters most each day, each week, and each month. Why worry about what needs to be done when you can calendar that need and fight it systematically.
- Embracing Rest / I am church planting and we have not launched but I am already working to guard my day of rest each week. I am a better leader when I step away from the race one day a week. In this season I have to set the rhythms that will keep me healthy when this church launches. Rest reminds me that God really is in charge.
This is how I am fighting insecurity in these days of starting something new.
What are you going to do to push back insecurity you face each day?