Lots of insecurity going all around, and I couldn’t care less, if not for the fact that some of these more extreme cases of insecurity are hurting others around me, if they aren’t hurting themselves.
I searched for insecurity synonyms in Google and the folks over at the Oxford English Dictionary gave me a two-for-one; A definition AND synonyms:
Insecurity:
uncertainty or anxiety about oneself; lack of confidence.
Similar:
lack of confidence, lack of self-confidence, self-doubt, diffidence, unassertiveness, humility, humbleness, meekness, timidity, timidness, timorousness, uncertainty, nervousness, hesitancy, inhibition, self-consciousness, anxiety, apprehension, worry, unease, uneasiness, vulnerability, defenselessness, unguardedness, lack of protection, perilousness, peril, danger, riskiness, instability, fragility, frailty, shakiness, rockiness, unsteadiness, unreliability, tenuousness, chanciness, iffiness
Well it seemed like a two for one until I saw ‘humility’ in the bunch – Oh, no way. Difference between the two is night and day. Insecurity is you thinking of yourself more than others, and humility is thinking of others more than yourself. And take note of the choice of words, because I’d also like to clarify that humility is NOT thinking less of yourself, but it IS thinking more of others.
I got better results with ChatGPT, and while I’m not going to share our conversation here, I will say this – in the light of recent events surrounding a particular school where I minister to, and where we encounter a lot of people (not just students) have their own… flavors of insecurity.
I mean, sure, I look at the extensive set of words the Dictionary presented as synonym alternatives to insecurity, and I see folks who have lack of confidence, sure; there are those who suffer from the other side of the coin – meaning, not a lack of confidence, but a surplus in self-doubt.
Some folks are timid, or we’d like to classify them as lacking in initiative to help others. Other folks have that initiative still in them but don’t act from hesitancy and inhibition.
And right now while I’m writing about all this, I’d like to clarify that, thankfully, the folks who do exhibit these flavors of insecurity are not the majority – but it’s still disturbing to see that there are more of them than I’d like, especially considering that this is a school. What’s worse is that, again, it’s not just the students – what’s worse is that while there are level-minded teachers (who are also very patient – coincidence?), there are those who are (looks up at the list again) fragile, unsteady, iffy…
Wait, I need to look at some of the other words.
Diffidence is shyness or modesty resulting from a lack of self-confidence.
Timorousness is the fear of the unknown or fear of making decisions. Interesting.
Tenuousness is derived from the property of being tenuous, implying extreme thinness, sheerness, or lack of substance and firmness.
Chanciness is the quality of being chancy or risky; riskiness.
I still have my own instances of timorousness for sure. But I thank God because He is with me through the unknown and the unfamiliar, and actually, now I get excited sometimes when facing the unknown.
But it does pop up, especially when I’m thinking about tomorrow, and the ‘unknown’ factors I’m not keeping in mind as I talk to the kids.
Speaking about that, I think my point is going to be somewhere in the lines of: “We tell you that God loves you, and that God is with you, but we are NOT telling you that YOU are the center of the universe.”
Sounds harsh, I’m sure, but I ran this through ChatGPT and it suggested that I speak on self-awareness, responsibility; It also tells me to try going with telling them that, sure, God’s love is always going to be there for us, but expectations have to be set. Let me just paste what it had to say about that:
Explain that while God’s love for them is infinite, it doesn’t mean they can act without consideration for others. Share examples from Scripture that illustrate the importance of humility, kindness, and consideration for others.
I’d like to take this and say that it’s BECAUSE of God’s love that you’re not only ABLE, but WILLING to act, considering others in mind.
All of a sudden I’m remembering a warning from the New Testament:
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
I merely wanted to see the verse where it said that people will be lovers of themselves or self, and I ended up pulling up the context, and consequently kicking myself in the nuts. You got me, I still exhibit some of these, I’m calling, remnants of the old flesh, and of the old mind.
I probably might want to keep a private memoir about these words as well.
For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.
2 Timothy 3:6-9
But, for lack of time, I think I need to avoid falling into the trap of who falls under what… and look further into the Scripture, perhaps for solutions for such displays of insecurity, and the like? Paul continues to write to Timothy:
You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me.
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:10-17
One of the said school’s verses that they always keep in mind is the famous Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
I dare say, that one thing I WILL share with the community tomorrow is that we should be fostering an environment that not only advocates the importance of comprehension by way of listening (see verse 10, re: continue in what you have learned…), comprehension by way of observing and following what is good (following ‘my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings’), but, more importantly, comprehension by way of reading… and reading Scripture.
No doubt that we all need the Word… and we need Jesus, the Living Word.
Let me just let this marinade in my head right now. Two things I want to tell them:
- You are NOT the center of the universe, and this reality does not exist to entertain you.
- GOD is the Creator of the universe, and Christ was born to exist in this reality to save you.
- You can learn so much more, you can be a better person by reading the Word, and learning from people who read the Word.
Okay that was three things. I’m telling myself now, let this sink in.
God bless us all.
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#Insecurity #TrueHumility #Rebuke #JesusChrist #GodsGrace #HolySpirit #YouthTalk #Repentance #Reflections #Revelations #Bible
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