What does the Bible teach about insecurity?

what does the bible say?

Insecurity is a feeling of uncertainty or lack of confidence in oneself, often rooted in fear of judgment, failure, or rejection. It can manifest in various areas of life, such as self-image, relationships, or abilities, leading to anxiety or self-doubt. When we are insecure, we allow a lack of confidence or trust in ourselves to overtake our trust in God. Insecurity can come from the Devil trying to cause us to doubt God’s goodness, from difficulties in our lives, from comparison, or from worrying about the future. But regardless of its source, insecurity often comes down to this: we are looking to the things of the world to satisfy us, and not the things of God (1 John 2:15; Colossians 3:1–4). God alone offers us true security (Isaiah 28:16; Matthew 7:24). When we put our trust in God, we need not be insecure.

from the old testament

Jeremiah 17:7–8 tells us, "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit." When we put our trust in God, we need not be insecure.Our enemy, the Devil, uses doubt to tempt us to question God's goodness. It is his oldest and most useful weapon—he used it against Eve in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1–8).We can trust God what God says (Deuteronomy 31:8; Psalm 9:10; Lamentations 3:57; see also 2 Timothy 2:11–13; James 1:16–18). When we feel insecure, we must remind ourselves of the truth of who God is as He demonstrates to us in His Word.

from the new testament

When we are in Christ, we know that God is with us, is for us, and He loves us (Romans 8:34–39). In Romans 8, Paul offers us any number of items, circumstances, forces, and powers that may come against us or that we may find ourselves living in, but none of them, absolutely nothing, can separate us from God's love. With that kind of assurance, we can put our insecurity to rest.Our enemy wants us to measure ourselves against others better off than we are. Because our struggle should not be against other people (Ephesians 6:12), we have been given spiritual armament for our defense and our battles (Ephesians 6:13–18).God offers us security (1 Timothy 6:17; Mark 10:23–27; Luke 12:16–21). No matter our circumstances, we can trust that He is there (John 14:15–17; Matthew 28:20).God created us and knows what is best for us (James 1:2–6; Romans 5:3–5; 1 Peter 3:15–17). When we rest in Him, we are secure.Sometimes it isn't our current situation that produces insecurity, but worries about our future. God addresses that, too. Matthew 6:31–34 says: "Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."Insecurity often comes down to this: we are looking to the things of the world to satisfy us, and not the things of God (1 John 2:15; Colossians 3:1–4). God alone offers us true security (Matthew 7:24; see also Isaiah 28:16).Security is found in God: "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen" (Philippians 4:19–20).

implications for today

Sometimes we start to feel insecure because we look to other people, our own status, our possessions, or accumulation of wealth to supply us security. Our worldly status and earthly possessions are inherently insecure. Neither were human relationships—even the most loving and stable among them—designed to give us full satisfaction or complete security. Sometimes we feel insecure because we compare our self-evaluation with our evaluation of others. Yet often when we look deeper into the lives of those who seem to "have everything" from a worldly perspective, we find that not everything is as it seems from the outside. There simply is no lasting security in possessions, money, status, or human relationships. The only thing that can give us security is God Himself. He is able to provide for all of our needs be they spiritual, emotional, physical, relational, or something else. God’s provision may not always look the way we would prefer it to, but we can trust that He created us and knows what is best for us. When we rest in Him, we are meaningfully secure.