Curing Insecurity

"Incredible," I was thinking the other day as I browsed through the books at my local library, "Hundreds of titles, and not a single one I need!"

According to the top psychologists of our day, everything I needed was right in front of me:

~Discovering Self-esteem;

~Self Matters;

~Your Best Life Now;

~I Like Myself!;

~Incredible Me;

But no, I was looking for something that carried a little more weight in eternity:

~Discovering Self-debasement;

~Christ Matters;

~Your Worst Life Now: letting God work through the hard stuff;

~I Hate My Sin!;

~Depraved Sinner, Incredible Savior;

Nope, not there. Nothing. Nada. Zip.

So judging from the titles that I found, what conclusion do you think that someone, completely new to our culture, would come to about what our country's issue is? Well, they would probably think that we were pretty low, right? They might think that we are in need of a little boost in (dare I say it?) self-esteem.

But it's not true. Not at all. I think that the real problem here is a little more difficult to cure. Let me explain:

Picture a girl, tears in her eyes, sitting in front of a counselor. She's talking about how short, chubby, and ugly she is. Now stop. What do you think the problem is here?

Bad self-image?

Self hate?

Unhealthy dose of humility?

Nope, nope, and nope. Pride is the culprit. (gasp!) Are you shocked? Here's C.S. Lewis to make it a little plainer,

"A really humble man...won't be a sort of person...who's always telling you that, of course, he's nobody. Probably all you'll think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him. If you do dislike him, it will be because you feel a bit envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He won't be thinking about himself at all. There I must stop. If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first step. The first step is to realize that one is proud. And a biggish step, too. At least, nothing whatever can be done before it. If you think you're not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed."

Hmmm, so if self-esteem definitely isn't what we need, than what is?

Well, we've discovered that the problem behind insecurity is actually pride, so the fist step to curing insecurity would have to be the opposite of pride, right? Taking focus off of ourselves and placing it on our Savior is the one and only cure to the disease of the mind that is ravaging our nation. Self-esteem doesn't cut it. It would be like giving a dying man an aspirin and telling him that every thing will be all right. Feeling good about yourself might be a temporary quick-fix, but in the end, it is only when we can say, with a humble and contrite spirit, "Have Thine own way, Lord!" that pride will be choked from our lives.

Have Thine own way, Lord!

Have Thine own way!

Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.

Mold me and make me after Thy will,

While I am waiting, yielded and still.

Have Thine own way, Lord!

Have Thine own way!

Search me and try me, Master, today!

Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,

As in Thy presence humbly I bow.

Have Thine own way, Lord!

Have Thine own way!

Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!

Power, all power, surely is Thine!

Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.

Have Thine own way, Lord!

Have Thine own way!

Hold o’er my being absolute sway!

Fill with Thy Spirit ’till all shall see

Christ only, always, living in me.

~Adelaide A. Pollard

posted by Lydia