The short answer: Discover your identity (Who resides in you?). And next, what has God called YOU to do? Not someone else’s calling, but yours.
Let me ask you a question. Are you insecure? Then stop relying on “you” at ALL! Yes, this is possible. And yes, it will cure you. And yes, I used to live with incredible insecurity every day.
Let me begin here: In the beginning humankind was perfectly secure. Since God created them with a complete identity, as male and female. And they were secure in their … identity as image bearers of their Creator. But what happened soon after? The curse. And as soon as the curse kicked in what was the first thing they noticed? That they were naked, and they were ashamed. Then they found a way to cover their shame, because they knew they were guilty, so they “hid” themselves. Even hiding from their image Maker. Now that right there makes no sense, unless of course they had been … separated from their identity.
But now … those who are “covered” in Christ and who are “hidden” in Him. Those who are now “clothed” in Christ; those who are now “New Creations,” who are “raised up and seated with Christ in heaven” because they are “children of God” once more, having been “born from heaven” of the “Seed of Christ.” These individuals are no longer insecure. But why? Because they have been restored to the image of God. In other words, they have been restored to their God given identity. This is “WHO” you truly are, child of God. You have been reconciled to your original identity. And here is something to consider. In truth, though you may not “feel” it, you are 100% different than the person who is not restored to their identity! You, the real you, not the body that is perishing, but you, your soul/spirit, which is you, is completely different, as different as light is from darkness. You are alive, free, healed, restored, whole, holy, and HIS.
So why are we not all simply living according to our restored identity in Christ? That is a wonderful question! Here is the answer: Because we have difficulty reconciling our thoughts, feelings, emotions, experiences, and history with …TRUTH. In other words, there is a disconnection between what we think/believe and what is “reality.” And the only way to get from point A (our imperfect minds/emotions) to point B (reality) is by taking this route: … TRUTH + FAITH = REALITY. But I cannot get you there. You must want to walk in this truth. And you must be willing to accept the truth. You MUST ask God to remove all that is hindering you from believing the truth. Because this is at the root of the problem. It is our lack of faith either stemming from our lack of knowing the truth or lack of believing the truth. You must choose to believe what God has said about you, His child. We could spend forever on this issue! But I am now moving to, “Knowing Your Calling!” After you have reconciled with the truth of your God given identity in Christ as a child of God, understanding what exactly that means, which is found in the Word of God. Then you can allow the Holy Spirit in you to show you what you are to do. The Spirit of Truth, who leads you into all truth (according to the scripture). This Holy Spirit who is in every child of God is there to lead and direct our steps in this life. To: help, counsel, guide, support, strengthen, teach, comfort, convict, motivate, sanctify (make increasingly into the image of Jesus) and empower us to “walk according to God’s lead.” And the excellent thing is, the Holy Spirit has a gift specifically for you and a call for you to fulfill. And as you seek the Lord. That is, seeking to follow HIS lead. Including reading the Bible and time spent in fellowship through prayer with Him. Then He will nudge you ever increasingly according to your gift and call on this earth. I like the word nudge to describe this. He will not force you, He will urge/nudge you to walk in your gift and calling.
AND … when you are living according to “who” you are as a beloved child of God, made in His image, and daily living in the power placed within you (the Holy Spirit), plus walking this relationship out with God according to what He has gifted you for and called you to do … this is “security” and joy, and freedom to be who you were created to be. And you will SHINE in the dark world!
You know how I said in the beginning that I “used to be” insecure? It is ONLY due to daily practicing living according to my identity and calling through reading/meditating on the Word of God and through quality time spent in prayer that it has been possible … HOWEVER, as soon as I listen to people who either do not “walk with God,” or who do not know Him at all, then the insecurity begins to set in. Therefore, I must be bold and walk away, and “look up,” refusing to listen to human wisdom which is void of the Spirit and Word of God.
Lastly, at the beginning of this post I also said the “cure to all this is to stop relying on YOU at ALL!” And I meant it. I live according to what I have written. I do not rely on ME at ALL! My morning, afternoon, night, waking or sleeping, eating, or moving, time alone or time together, health, breath, life, and death …. are HIS. There is no space which is not His in me. How have I got here? By practicing these truths above, every single day. And of course … by the grace of God!
One day after writing this post this was on my desk:
Aletheia: Truth in the Darkness 