Insecurity, in the Christian context, could be understood as a state of spiritual or psychological instability that arises from a lack of trust in God's providence, a diminished sense of one's inherent dignity as a child of God, or an excessive reliance on worldly affirmations rather than divine grace. It is not a formal theological term, but one thing is for sure: as a child of God, your sense of self-worth —and in that sense, your self-confidence— should be iron clad, stable, and undeniable, as you realize that God made you on purpose and you are loved unconditionally.
In essence, "insecurity" in a this context points to a spiritual or psychological state where a man struggles to fully embrace his identity in Christ, trust in God's unfailing love and care, and rely on His grace to navigate the challenges of life. When you fail to do this, you become anxious, stressed, and insecure, forgetting your role and forgetting God’s promises.
What Causes Insecurity?
Lack of trust in God’s providence: The anxiety that arises from failing to trust God regarding your future can easily turn into a deep sense of doubt and fear which destroys your self-confidence. Insecurity, in this sense, would be a failure to fully embrace this truth and surrender to God's will.
Diminished sense of dignity: Every human person is created in the image of God, and each of us has inherent dignity. When you forget that what determines your worth is nothing on this earth but the simple fact that God chose you and created you, it’s easy to let the failures and struggles of worldly pursuits lead you to think that you are worthless. Our worth comes from our relationship with God, and nothing else.
Reliance on worldly affirmations over Divine Grace: Similarly to the previous point, in this case insecurity stems from letting the world tell you who you are and how much you’re worth. When men seek security primarily in worldly things, they are prone to insecurity because these things are fleeting and cannot provide lasting peace. Only God can.
Whatever the case, the most important thing to remember is that God wants you to be confident, not in a self-reliant or arrogant way, but with a profound trust in His power, love, and constant presence. True, genuine, humble confidence comes from faith.
Beyond the general causes for insecurity mentioned earlier, in this article my goal is to dive deep into three unspoken causes of insecurity and cowardice in Christian men today, and then provide clear, practical strategies to combat them.
It’s likely that some readers will dislike what I’m about to explain, because insecurity can stem from deep-rooted wounds, and it’s never easy to look at yourself critically and shine light on the things that have hurt you. I understand that fully. However, I encourage you to read the whole article with an open mind, and muster the courage to examine yourself —wounds and all— and ask yourself honestly if these are some things that are keeping you from developing the unshakable confidence and courage that all Christian men should have.
Like I mentioned earlier, there are, in my opinion, three hidden causes to insecurity and spiritual cowardice in Christian men today.
So what exactly are these things that are making you insecure?
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