Cafe Chat: Seeking Security
Posted by Andrea 
Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders. (Deuteronomy 33:12)
It’s Saturday morning and the Internet Cafe is open. Cafe Chat is a weekly gathering sponsored by Internet Cafe Devotions and our hostess Kim has offered yet another set of thought provoking questions:
First of all, do you struggle with insecurity issues? If no, why not?
If yes, can you tell of a specific situation that happened to you that brought out your insecurities?
If you do struggle with insecurity, what do you believe is the root cause of your insecurity?
Insecurity becomes a part of everyone’s life at one time or another but women seem especially vulnerable because we’re often attempting to tackle our many responsibilities perfectly all while striving to look and sound our best. We certainly don’t want to be viewed as incompetent and we surely don’t want anyone to frown upon our physical appearance either!
I’d love to say that I’m exempt from feelings of insecurity, but this is not the case. Unfortunately, I have been bitten by the insecurity bug many, many times. Once bitten, the same thing always happens. Venomous thoughts seep into my mind and cause me to question my worth and ability. These thoughts then rise to the surface, make me itchy and restless, and cause me to alter my behavior.
Over the years, I recall feeling insecure about my appearance and intelligence. These days I’m feeling fairly good about those areas, but motherhood is the one area in which I sometimes feel insecure. Oddly enough, my mothering insecurities are not brought about by other mothers. I don’t feel that I’m being a poor mother if I don’t do the things all my Mommy friends are doing as I recognize that my children’s needs may not mirror their children’s needs. My insecurity is self inflicted and for me, that’s the worst kind of insecurity.
This insecurity is rooted in my desire is to be the very best mother I can be. Motherhood is the job the Lord has given me right now, and I want to do the job to the best of my ability and please the Lord with my efforts. In addition, I want to make sure that my children are loved, nurtured, and taught in the best possible manner.
Sometimes the self inflicted burden of trying to do everything just right wears on me and I end up second guessing myself and beating myself up about my shortcomings. Am I giving both of my girls ample attention and love? Am I modeling a good example of Christ before them? Should I have been more patient during today’s reading lesson? Are my children internalizing the Christian values I’m working to instill within them? The list of questions goes on and on!
Is there a remedy for those of us who are pestered by the insecurity bug? Indeed there is! Though the bug may still buzz around me, I’m learning to arm myself with the greatest repellent there is: God’s word! The Bible is one of the most effective tools I can use to repel insecurity and alter faulty thought patterns. Let’s battle our insecurities by searching the scriptures and reading about how God strengthened people such as David, Esther, Daniel, Mary, and Paul and allowed them to overcome their insecurities. Thank God we can follow their examples and do the same!
As I leave you today, I’d like you to reflect upon the words of one of my favorite hymns, Leaning On the Everlasting Arms. All the verses are wonderful, but verse three is particularly encouraging if we’re feeling insecure!
(Verse 1)
What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms!
(Refrain repeated after every verse)
Leaning, leaning,
Safe and secure from all alarm!
Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on the everlasting arms!
(Verse 2)
Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
Oh, how bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
(Verse 3):
What have I to fear, what have I to dread,
Leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace, with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms!
(Refrain):
Leaning, leaning,
Safe and secure from all alarm!
Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on the everlasting arms!
Listen to a beautiful instrumental version of this great hymn:
Tags: Cafe Chat
Thanks so much for sharing this week. I think in the realm of motherhood we can all tend to feel insecure at times…
Blessings to you sweet one, and come back again
Kim
Such a lovely post, be blessed.
Your post today has struck a chord with me (and not the beautiful, instrumental kind like you included)! My last 2 posts talk about my insecurities as a parent.
Thank you for stopping by my blog last week. I suspect we are kindred spirits!
Peace,
You’re a true beauty with lots of good brains. Never fear!!! Thanks for sharing so openly with us. :~D
Such an open and honest post. Thank you for sharing from your heart.
When the kids were younger I had a lot of guilt. If I lost my patience, raised my voice, or didn’t respond as pleasantly as I wanted to I would just feel awful.
I loved my kids so much that I felt that they deserved to have the “perfect” mom…instead they got me!
Fortunately, the Lord is faithful and He ironed out alot of my rough ages, and is still ironing them out, lol!
Thanks so much for sharing. I think many of us moms struggle with the same kinds of insecurities when we take our eyes off of God. At least you are in good company, right?!
What excellent advice. Thank you for sharing.