Today’s Daily Bread ~ Insecurity’s Iron Gri

Philippians 2:3-4 – Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others.  Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself.  Don’t think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing.

Before I moved over to 96.3 KSCS, I worked at 99.5 the Wolf.  About ten or twelve years ago, they had a Sunday night show called “The Front Porch.”  The Porch was a showcase for Texas artists that had a fairly established fan base.  I worked the overnight shift on Sunday (going into Monday), and I would often show up early to watch the show and meet the artists.

Justin Frazell hosted the show for years, but he wasn’t the original host.  We’ll call that guy Sam.  One evening, there were about ten or fifteen of us in the room watching Sam interview Jack Ingram.  Sam asked a question, and Jack answered with a line that was such a softball…just begging for Sam to take it and run, turning the interview down a far more entertaining path.  Sam was so concerned with asking his next question that he didn’t even hear what Jack said – he gave him a disinterested “mm hmm,” and moved on to the next canned, typical DJ question.  He was too concerned with his questions to listen….turning what could’ve been a great interview into a very mediocre one.

Insecurity has been a struggle of mine through the years.  God and I have made some good headway on this, but the memories are still fresh.  How many times have I forgotten someone’s name within 30 seconds of meeting them because I was so concerned with what they thought of me?  I’ve let intimidation get the best of me.  I’ve agreed with things I don’t believe and I’ve said things I thought people wanted to hear.  That is a self-centered line of thinking.  It is a self-centered way to live, and it literally blocks the light of Christ in us.

The term “self-centered” tends to bring a picture of arrogance to mind; over-confident, toot-your-own-horn kind of people (which, by the way, is a sure sign of insecurity).  In truth, to be self-centered simply means that you are the center of your universe.  Sometimes, and I’ve found oftentimes with women, it manifests in self-loathing.  Any way you slice it, it’s idolatry.  God is the only one equipped to be the center of your life.  And God has shown me that insecurities flourish when we live life inward.  We were not created to be the center of our own little world.  We were created for much more than that.  But if our attention is always directed in, how will we ever know?

The more I study Scripture, the more impressed I am with the efficiency of God.  When He commands us to do or not to do something, it is always for our good and for our joy.  He doesn’t make useless rules.  Deuteronomy 20:3-4a – Do not worship any other gods besides me.  Do not make idols of any kind, whether in the shape of birds or animals or fish.  If I might be so bold as to add a creative elaboration, I think it could also say, “or yourself, your spouse, your children, your friends, your boss, or any joe-schmoe walking down the street.”  Why is God so adamant about this?  Because we are not made to be the center of our world.  We simply can’t handle it, and we will always fail ourselves.

When we put too much importance on what others think of us they tend to think less of us.  When we elevate ourselves or others to the position set aside for Jesus we can be certain of disappointment.  The remedy is this – to live for Christ.  Paul told the Galatians, “I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20).”

Living to please others will drain you and eventually render you useless.  1 Thessalonians 4:1a – Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you.  God has written this Scripture on my heart, and reminds me of it often.  It doesn’t matter what they think of you.  Worry about what I think of you.  Speak the truth, proclaim my Son’s name, and remove yourself from anything unclean.  Cleave yourself to me; keep your thoughts firmly fixed on me.  Then I will give you joy; I will give you peace that surpasses understanding and sustains you through the worst of storms.

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 – And may the Lord make your love grow and overflow to each other and to everyone else, just as our love overflows toward you.  As a result, Christ will make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy when you stand before God our Father on that day when our Lord Jesus comes with all those who belong to Him.

Dear Heavenly Father, it is so easy to get tangled up in a self-centered way of thinking and living.  It truly does take the power of the Holy Spirit to shift our gaze outward.  Lord, instead of concerning ourselves with what others think of us, give us concern for others.  Help us to see them as You see them, not as the world sees them.  Help us to look at your people with love, compassion, tenderness and grace.  Give us strength and confidence God, not in us, but in Christ, who died for us.  What does it matter if the world hates us, as long as we have Your hand of blessing holding us tightly?  You have stretched out a path before each one of us, and today we pray that You would shine Your light on it.  Put people in front of us who need You and give us the courage to proclaim Your Name.  We love You so much God, and we ask that You would forgive us for every time we’ve ever put something or someone else on Your throne.  We ask these things in the beautiful name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.