By Allen White
Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
Matthew 23:5-7
Insecure people can be both dangerous and obnoxious. Believe me, I know. At times, I am one.
People who seem so full of themselves prove to be rather empty. They want to be the center of attention because this helps to validate who they are. They need other people to think well of them, because they think so little of themselves.
This was the case with the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. They narrowed down God’s Law to manageable requirements. No human being could perfectly obey the Law, so the bar had to be lowered at least to the level where they qualified as righteous.
But, think about these religious leaders. They had no assurance of their salvation like believers today. Theirs was a religion of externals – sacrifices and synagogues. They fulfilled the mechanics of religion but lacked a personal relationship with God. They lived in a cycle of sin and sacrifice, then sin again. Grace was lacking. Peace was scarce. Guilt and shame were plentiful.
They presented themselves as more than who they really were. They cast the shadow of the Great and Powerful Oz, yet they were merely men hiding behind a curtain.
Insecure people often appear larger than life. What they present to the world often seems unreal – probably because it’s fake.
People driven by insecurity don’t believe the truth about themselves. They don’t see themselves as God sees them. God loves every insecure person on the planet. We are important to Him. He designed us for a purpose. Where we feel inadequate, He makes us adequate.
When do you feel tempted to present yourself as someone you are not? What assumptions do you allow people to keep? When someone criticizes, what place does that take you to?
You are enough. God made you to be you. He has equipped you with both strengths and weaknesses to fulfill your purpose on this earth. Yes, I said “weaknesses.” More people will relate to your failures than to your successes.
Don’t allow the devil or anyone else, including you, to poison your thoughts and convince you that you are worthless. When you hit the wall and don’t know what to do next, cry out to God: “I can’t make this work. I don’t know what to do. I need you to help me.” And, God always will.
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