What Do We Do When Old Insecurities Surface? By Lisa Burkhardt Worley, D.Min.
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father (John 14:12).
Sometimes, even as mature adults, the insecurities of the past can creep in. Last weekend, I attended my high school reunion in San Antonio, Texas. Due to my father’s death before I was born and my mother’s emotional health issues, I had little parental support in high school, and I was one of the poorest teenagers in a very wealthy school. I lacked confidence. While I had leadership skills, I suppressed them because I didn’t believe I was as talented as others.
However, since then, I have developed greater confidence and had a relatively successful television career. I continue to use my media skills in Christian television and documentary film work. That may be why I was asked to co-emcee both nights of the reunion.
Truthfully, I was worried about it. What if no one listens? The gawky, insecure teenager in me began to fret. And my worst fears happened. As my co-emcee (who happens to be a pastor) and I tried to present the announcements the first night of the reunion, no one paid attention. They kept talking as if we were not there. We got through it the best we could, but everything in me did not want to come back the next night and try it again.
But the next morning, the LORD ministered to me in a big way. When the insecurities of the past manifest in your life, these truths will help you, too. During my quiet time, the Holy Spirit provided a passage from Colossians 3:23-34: Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. The Lord was telling me that he placed the two of us in this position as His witnesses, and whether anyone listened or not, we needed to do the work to the best of our ability.
He also reminded me in my morning devotion that “Through Christ, we have been raised up and seated with Him in the heavenly realms. This spiritual position of authority and intimacy with God is our inheritance as believers” (Ephesians 2:6).
So, with that truth in mind, I took authority over the scenario. I prayed that God would go before us and that people would be quiet while we delivered the announcements. I prayed for his holy anointing on us as we recognized all that had contributed their time to the reunion. These announcements were not about us. It was about others who put in the effort to organize the two reunion nights.
It was amazing to watch God work. When it was time for us to speak, everyone stopped talking and stood in a semi-circle listening to what we had to say. We had their full attention. With all the former classmates staring at us, it was somewhat intimidating! After we were done, I was relieved and had a good time visiting with fellow alumni. I was thankful to be there.
When old insecurities surface, we should never forget our standing in Christ. Ask for the Lord’s help. He has given us power and authority in this world, but we must press into that authority to stand firm in every situation.
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