On Firm Footing (Part 1)

Last week, I wrote that insecurity feels like you’re bobbing in the waves when you are actually on firm ground. It’s the nauseating feeling of not measuring up, feeling left out, or feeling like a beginner in an area. This insecurity can stem from a false narrative you or someone you know has told you. These lies, when accepted, cause that bobbing feeling. When we do something we are proud of we are “up” and feeling good. But, what happens when we slip up or fail?

Our mistakes and short falls seem to prove a point: we don’t measure up. Kayla Aimee in her book In Bloom quotes author Curt Thompson, “The reality is that most shame takes place inside your head dozens of times every day. It’s silent, subtle, and characterized by the quiet self-condemning conversation that we’ve learned since we were kids.” Often our background music is a constant hum of lies. We get used to the endless buzz of shame, but that isn’t how we were meant to live. 

The reason this shaming insecurity is such a problem (other than the fact it’s a horrid nuisance) is we were designed for love.* Our brain, in fact our whole being, was created to give and receive love. Our bodies and souls weren’t made to house fear. I believe our insecurity is the result of the fear inside our souls. Will you help me explain by filling in the blanks to these sentences?

I am not lovely because                    .

I should                   more.

I always make the mistake of                 .

I am terrible at                     .

These and many other harsh words (most often lies) build a case for why we should be afraid. And where there is fear, there is insecurity.

So, how do we stop this hum of lies? 

We need to replace them with another song!

“The Lord your God is in your midst,

a might one who will save;

he will rejoice over you with gladness;

he will quiet you by his love;

he will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

Did you catch the last line of this verse? God sings over us! His song is one of freedom, love, acceptance, and joy.

I know this is true because of many places in scripture, but I especially love to read Psalm 139 to see this truth. This song talks about how God searches us, knows us, and has countless thoughts about us. Have you heard the verse that says we are fearfully and wonderfully made? Well, that is from this Psalm. Did you know the verse goes on to say “ my soul knows it very well.” 

That is a question we could ponder and ask ourselves. Do I know I am wonderfully made? 

Do you have a friend who listens to you well and seems to really know you? I am talking about the kind of friend who looks at you in the eye when you’re speaking. It is the kind of friend who asks you really good questions. She knows your history and “gets you.” This friendship is available with Jesus. However, it’s a deeper friendship than with a girlfriend, for He knows you completely and delights in you fully. 

If you want to shake that insecurity and stop the internal hum of lies, ask Jesus, “what do you think of me?” Be ready to be loved. Brace yourself for a wave of affection. Be prepared to blush from the lavishness of His answer. He adores us, and in His friendship there is no fear or insecurity.

I encourage you to ask these two great questions?

Does my soul know I am wonderfully made?

Jesus, what do you think about me?

May these questions help us find firm footing.

-Kassie Joy 

*Dr. Caroline Leaf writes about this in Switch On Your Brain

I picked these three to follow along with what Kassie is talking about, insecurities. In a way we are all like flowers, we all bloom in our own time. Sometimes we feel behind, but as it says in the Bible we were made for such a time as this. The candle is simply for the fire that should be in our souls, that desire to know Jesus and have that relationship with Him. That flame also means that we can be a light to others, we all have insecurities but even a little flame can make big changes. Then for my last image, I chose it simply because of the joy. She didn’t know I was taking this image, and in true Mandy fashion, I was probably saying something silly. I loved this image. It is true, in the moment happiness. Nothing more, nothing less, just being. That is my encouragement, just be right where you are.

-Mandy June Photography