Facing Fears and Insecurities

There are many reasons why an educator may feel insecure about themselves. An insecurity could arise as a result of past experiences, unresolved inner conflicts, people’s negative energy, hypersensitivity, or damaged self-worth. No matter the reason, insecurities almost always stem from an existing root cause. Thus, finding the source of such internal dissatisfaction seems a natural first step.

After this course of action has been taken, the next likely step is to consult a divine source for true guidance.  This is something I found to be highly beneficial in my own experience as discovering the reasoning behind my inner fears alone could not bring me peace. Once I began fervently seeking God for answers through prayer and the careful search of the Scriptures, I was able to receive full revelation to the cause of my self-doubt, which was like a mirror shedding light into my inner self.

I learned from my reading of Psalm 139 that though I was shaped in iniquity, I was knit together by God in a way that made me wonderful. Everything that I am today, including all of my insecurities and fears, are no surprise to God – even these are pieces of an intricately woven fabric of my identity that is meaningful to Him. Therefore, my insecurities serve the purpose of showing me that God loves all of me, even the parts that I don’t understand or accept. Yet, the more I understand myself, the more I experience the depth of God’s infinite love for me.

In deep gratefulness of where this fruitful journey has taken me, I have decided to share some of the insights I received so that you too can experience the freedom and love that I have found.

1. Pray Often. Begin and end each day with prayer. Ask God to help you embark on a journey to self-acceptance. Pray for His Holy Spirit to gently and courageously guide you to love and embrace who you are, including your insecurities. Once you are able to do this confidently, the next step is to willingly hand them over to Christ for true deliverance.

2. Begin Journaling. Start a journal to write down all of the things that you don’t accept about yourself. This could include a list of physical, emotional or personal characteristics, habits you’ve sustained as a result of past hurtful experiences, or internal messages which may have negatively impacted your sense of worth. Categorize the items into topics, such as: talent, pain, guilt, unworthy, and so on. Next to each insecurity, find a Bible verse that corresponds with each one. You can use the concordance found at the back of your Bible to search specific topics.

4. Meditate on Scripture. Write the Bible verses on index cards and pin them onto a board somewhere you frequent (i.e. – the mirror, fridge or wall.) Focus on one Bible verse every day; repeat it aloud several times and try to memorize it. You can extend the time if needed to truly internalize the passage until you sense a change in heart, spirit and emotional release. As you further dwell on the Bible verse ask yourself this question, “What message does God want me to learn?” Once you’ve gone through all your index cards, give thanks to God for the opportunity to embark on a journey to come to terms with your insecurity(ies).

Finally, do not give up. The process to self-love and acceptance will come with many hurdles and stops but continue to take God at His Word and believe in His sure promises. God’s love for you is for you to have, own and experience each and every day. What might be some insecurities you are currently facing today? What is one step you can take to begin the journey of freedom from these insecurities?

Author

Liza Ngenye

Liza, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Communication at La Sierra University, USA.