Insecurities

For Christmas, I got Beth Moore’s, So Long Insecurities, that came highly recommended from a sweet friend,Jessie. I read a little bit over break, but it somehow got lost in the shuffle this semester. I finally picked it back up this past month or so, and have been slowly, but surely chugging through the remainder of the book. Each and every chapter, I am just blown away by what she is saying and how it correlates perfectly with my life. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it! It will definitely change your opinion about yourself and other girls!

Anyways, last night I was reading one of the last chapters entitled, Looking Out for Each Other, which basically spoke to how we ladies have failed each other. We know how hard it is to be a woman, yet we continually bring each other down (and usually behind each other’s backs). We are constantly comparing ourselves to each other, thinking that we can never look as good as her, or be as smart as this girl. We are constantly trying to seek other girls’ approval, either by what we wear, say or do. Why?! Ladies, there is no need. And what’s even worse is that in the midst of comparing ourselves to that girl, we lose sight of who we are. We degrade ourselves to nothing. Beth Moore speaks exactly to this,

“Where on earth did we come up with the idea that we have to subtract value from ourselves in order to give credit to someone else?”

After I read that, all I could think was “dang, she’s so right.” We’re all guilty of it. I see a pretty girl in the caf, and immediately think that I’m ugly. I see girls running around campus and automatically think that I’m a slob and out of shape (which actually might be true, but that’s beside the point). We’ve become so insecure in ourselves that we reduce ourselves to a minuscule and wonder how anyone could ever love us.  Again, Beth Moore speaks to this aspect of insecurity,

“When we work from an activated mentality of God-given security, we are fully capable of thinking another woman is beautiful without concluding we are ugly. We can esteem another woman’s achievements without feeling like an idiot. We can admire another woman’s terrific shape without feeling like a slob.”

Is that awesome news or what?! When we are secure in the love and the admiration of our Lord, we are able to give REAL compliments; compliments that we truly mean and don’t make us feel like the loser. I want this to be me. While I have gotten better in some areas of insecurity, I still struggle. And I will. I don’t think that one can ever be so fully secure that nothing ever makes her doubt herself or her accomplishments.

Starting today, I am challenging myself to be this kind of woman. A woman that is so secure in her faith, that when everything else gives way, she is still holding fast to her Savior. But I can’t do this alone, it takes an army of women to rise up and say “We are not going to tolerate our insecurities anymore. We are going to take the steps necessary to love each other, which still loving ourselves.” I am challenging you to do this because I want to change the world.

Wow, Cullen, that a bold statement.

It’s extremely bold. And I can't believe I just wrote that, but hey, I speak (type) from my heart. While I know that I can’t change the whole wide world, but what if I could just change my thinking and the thinking of some of my friends, who then try and change their friends thinking, and so on and so forth. That’s how change happens. It does seem crazy, but think about it. Do you want your daughter growing up in a society that tells her that she has to be skinny and tan with blue and blonde hair to be happy? Because I don’t.  This has been something I’ve been thinking about for a while. Our society screams that skinny is the way to be happy, yet scratch their heads when the percentage of eating disorders goes up. As Christians, our security shouldn’t come from looks, smarts, boys, or accomplishments. They should come from the One who knitted us together in our mothers’ wombs. And as Christians, we are called to show others this. So what’s holding us back?

In the words of famous boy band, One Direction,

“You’re insecure, don’t know what for.”