Sam Storms is one of my favorite writers and pastors. He recently posted on the insecurity of pastors and its damage done to the church. But if we look at insecurity on its own, his words are true all by themselves. I’ve removed the application to pastors and made it more general to all of us. I hope you find Sam’s words helpful. “Insecurity makes it difficult to acknowledge and appreciate the accomplishments of others. In other words, the personally insecure person is often incapable of offering genuine encouragement to others. Their success becomes a threat to you. If you’re insecure you likely won’t pray for others to flourish.Insecurity will lead a person to encourage and support and praise another only insofar as the latter serves the former’s agenda and doesn’t detract from your image.An insecure person will likely resent the praise or affirmation that others receive from the people at large. For the insecure person, constructive criticism is not received well, but is perceived as a threat or outright rejection. Because the insecure person is incapable of acknowledging personal failure or lack of knowledge, he’s often unteachable. He will resist those who genuinely seek to help him or bring him information or insights he lacks. His spiritual growth is therefore stunted. The insecure person is typically heavy-handed in his dealings with others. The insecure person is often controlling and given to micromanagement. The insecure person rarely empowers or authorizes others to undertake tasks for which they’re especially qualified and gifted. He won’t release others but rather restrict them. The insecure person is often given to outbursts of anger. At its core, insecurity is the fruit of pride. In summary, and at its core, insecurity results from not believing the gospel. The antidote to feelings of insecurity, then, is the rock-solid realization that one’s value and worth are in the hands of God, not others, and that our identity expresses who we are in Christ. Only as we deepen our grasp of his sacrificial love for us will we find the liberating confidence to affirm and support others without fearing their successes or threats.”
the sound board 