WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
OCTOBER 20, 2022
TOPIC: OVERCOMING INSECURITY
BY T. O. BANSO
âThen Moses said to him, âAre you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the LORD’S people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!ââ (Numbers 11:29 New King James Version).
Insecurity in the context of this message refers to a feeling of uncertainty or anxiety about oneself, a lack of confidence about oneâs ability to do something well, especially as one compares oneself with another person or others.
Those suffering from insecurity have self-doubt and feel others are better than they are. Some feel threatened by the rising or success of others, hence they engage in fierce, unfair, and unhealthy competition. Yet there is so much they can achieve if they overcome insecurity.
You must come to a place in your life where you must not feel threatened by anybody’s progress or success. The sky is wide enough for all birds to fly. No bird should feel threatened by another.
Look at Mosesâ example. He was told that two men among his seventy elders, Eldad and Medad, who had remained in the camp were prophesying like the other elders because the Spirit of the Lord had rested upon them. God took of the Spirit that was upon Moses and put the same upon the seventy elders. The reaction of Moses’ assistant, Joshua, was âMoses my lord, forbid them!â (Numbers 11:28 New King James Version).
But the reply of Moses showed a secure leader, a leader who wasnât threatened by the rising of any subordinate. Moses replied: âAre you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the LORD’S people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!â (Verse 29 New King James Version). What a secure leader! He was looking ahead to the outpouring of Godâs Spirit on all flesh, which the Prophet Joel later spoke about in Joel 2:28-29.
Joel 2:28-29 says, âAnd it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those daysâ (New King James Version). This was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2).
Are you secure or do you feel threatened by others when they use their gifts? Do you always feel the more the merrier or do you always feel like others have come to take your place and make you irrelevant? Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:5, âI wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edificationâ (New King James Version).
Insecurity in leadership kills organizations. Insecure leaders frustrate followers/subordinates with the potential that the organization should harness. They feel threatened by the possibility that the rising stars under them could overshadow them. Eventually, the rising stars may quit. What a shame!
Great leaders are always secure, and if youâre going to be great, you must overcome insecurity. Otherwise, your insecurity can make you eliminate from your life the same people that God has sent to bless you. Jesus demonstrated an excellent example in Mark 9:38-40 similar to what Moses did.
One of the disciples of Jesus told Him that they saw someone who did not follow them casting out demons in His name, and they forbade him because he did not follow them. Jesus replied, âDo not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is on our sideâ (Mark 9:39-40 New King James Version).
Jesus didnât say because the man whom His disciples spoke about didnât follow them, therefore, they should forbid him. Rather, He approved of the man’s independent ministry! What was important to Jesus was doing the job the right way. It wasnât about whether the man was following them or not. As long as the man believed in His name and was casting out demons in His name, He was okay with it.
If the man could be casting out demons in His name without following them, he was doing a good job that should be commended. It showed he wasnât against Jesus but for Him. Jesus was secure. Jesus planned that everyone who believed in Him would cast out demons. He later said that one of the signs that would follow or accompany those who believed was that, in His name, they would cast or drive out demons (Mark 16:17).
Some people are insecure and envious of others. They want to be the only ones being celebrated. They are uncomfortable seeing others also being celebrated. This is bad. It is unChristian. Those who have this attitude must repent. The world is not created for them alone.
John the Baptist had no insecurity. Therefore, he could celebrate Jesus. He could introduce Jesus as better than He was. âJohn answered, saying to all, âI indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fireââ (Luke 3:16 New King James Version). In John 1:29-30, John said, âBehold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, âAfter me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before meââ (New King James Version).
Also in John 1:36, John who was standing with two of his disciples, looked at Jesus walking and said, âBehold the Lamb of God!â (New King James Version). John knew who Jesus was and didnât engage in any competition with Him. Rather, he magnified Him even when He came to him for baptism (Matthew 3:13-15).
When John was later told that Jesus was baptizing and everyone was going to Him, John didnât feel bad about it. He said, âA man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, âI am not the Christ,â but, âI have been sent before Him.â He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above allâ (John 3:27-31 New King James Version).
You must overcome insecurity. Donât see life as a competition between you and others. Donât see othersâ success as a barrier to yours. Donât see those who are ahead of you as your enemies. We are all in different phases of our lives. Run your race, not another personâs race.
How you can deal with insecurity
1. Be established in the love of God. Know that God loves you (Romans 8:35-39).
2. Donât compare yourself with someone else (2 Corinthians 10:12; Numbers 12:2)
3. Donât be jealous or envious of anyone (Galatians 5:26; Matthew 27:18; Mark 15:10). Nobodyâs destiny is superior to yours or a threat to yours.
4. Acknowledge that we all have different gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). Our assignments on earth are not the same. Understand that being different doesnât mean being better.
5. Admit that no single person can do everything; we each have been given a portion to accomplish and we need each other (1 Corinthians 12:14-30)
6. Relate with others in love (Ephesians 5:2; 1 Peter 4:8; Luke 6:27; Romans 13:9-10; Philippians 1:9; 2 Thessalonians 1:3).
7. Celebrate others (John 3:27-31, 1:26-27; Matthew 11:7-11). Philippians 2:3 says, âLet nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himselfâ (New King James Version).
Donât allow insecurity to ruin your life. Overcome insecurity.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life â your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Holy Spirit, help me to be established in the love of God for me. My self-esteem is rooted in Godâs love for me in Jesus’ name. I am whom God says I am and I will become who He has destined me to be. I shall not be threatened by anybodyâs progress or success. I shall run my race and not another personâs race; I shall not live a life of competition and comparison in Jesusâ name. I pray that those suffering from insecurities shall be delivered in Jesusâ name.
(For over 800 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
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