Overcoming Your Insecurities – Pinch of Positivity

Redefining Yourself with God

CJ Montgomery — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 07:00:43 +0000

Key Verse: 1 John 1:7

In a society that prides itself on visible success, it can be easy to compare yourself to others. It can make you feel like nothing you do is ever good enough. Every where you look someone seems to have more or look better, and we often try to rush our way to achieving those same results. The awful part is that we often try to do it without God. One of the first ways that we can overcome our insecurities is by redefining ourselves with God.

We must understand that God is the only example that we will ever have of true perfection (v.5). So, we must look to Him when we are trying to find something to compare ourselves too and mold our lives after, and it is easier to look to Him when we intentionally build a relationship with Him. That relationship may look different for you compared to the pastor of your church. The important thing is that you try to have a relationship with someone who has no insecurities.

As we are forming that relationship, we cannot live a double life (v.6). Most people go to the extreme and think that a sinful life only involves going out to parties or engaging in premarital sex, but it can also include using profanity and holding grudges. We can’t say that we truly have a relationship with God if we are still partaking in these actions, which unfortunately means that we can’t fully address our insecurities. Moreover, having a relationship does not just exist in the bubble of just saying that you are saved. How would you feel if someone said they were your friend, but every action they ever displayed, from never speaking to you or inviting you to hang out, said otherwise? It would hurt, and it would probably cause more insecurities to form within us. While God does not have insecurities, He deserves the same level of respect that we expect in our earthly relationships and more. By cultivating this relationship, we allow Him in to work out our insecurities.

Have you ever stopped to write down your insecurities? Does anything on that list involve your relationship with God? When I wrote out my list, disappointing God was not on there. But what I came to realize is that it should have been at the top. Having a better relationship with God could fix everything on my list, most of which involve my appearance and the way others think about me. (We will dive deeper into those things in this series.) The moment that I decided that I wanted to walk with God who is the light, I gave Him permission to purify me from my sins and negative thoughts about myself (v.7) None of us can say that those feelings don’t exist because then we would be lying because again God is the only perfect being, and the only way that God can save us from our insecurities is to openly admit that they exist (v.8-9). I am not saying that you must publicize your flaws on the internet or in a crowded room, but you must make it known to God that this is an area of your life you want Him to fix. Admitting that you are only human or saying that you make mistakes is not the same as getting into the specifics of the areas that you want God to fill. Understand that God’s grace and mercy only extends to sinners, so you must be ok with admitting that you will have flaws. He will not hold our past against us, so we have nothing to be ashamed or afraid of.

Your relationship with God cannot just be a label, but it must be a lifestyle. However, confession is a good first step in redefining your relationship with Him because you then put yourself in agreement with God that you need help. God is the only true example of perfection, so, when you get close to Him, He can work on all of the insecurities.

Prayer: Lord thank you for wanting a relationship with me, so that I can redefine myself with you. Thank you for not making me go through this part of my life alone. Please allow me to see you as my standard, and, while I am there, allow me to open up to you about where I am lacking. Lord I need you and I can’t do this without you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Redefining Yourself in God

CJ Montgomery — Thu, 27 Jun 2019 07:00:58 +0000

Scripture: Ephesians 1:3-14

Key Verse: Ephesians 1:4

Once you have begun cultivating a relationship with God, you can then begin to redefine yourself in Him. I know that many of you are like what is the difference, so let me explain. You can have relationship with someone with investing in someone. The “with” is just the association, whereas the “in” is the complete immersion. So, to redefine yourself “in” God you have to understand how God has immersed and invested Himself in us.

The first thing we must remember is that God choose us, and it is a great feeling to know that we were chosen for the winning team. God knew that the characteristics we have and will have in the future will benefit the team even those characteristics that we consider to be our biggest insecurities. So, in choosing us, He validates who we are as humans. It should make you feel even more special to know that He chose us before the creation of the world. So, even before everything was created and marked as good, God had already chosen us (v.4). He had His own idea of who we were supposed to be before we took our first breath. He had His own idea of who we were supposed to be before we received our organs, bones, and flesh. More importantly, He had His own idea of us before the world ever got the chance to flaunt our insecurities in our faces.

It wasn’t enough for Him to just choose us, He made us a part of His family (v.5). As our father, He can care for us and discipline us, but we have to talk to Him. He wants to help us be our best. He wants us to have earthly success so that He can get the glory. Since God is rich in grace, He can easily help us when we put our lives in His hand (v. 7). God has already laid out His plan for us. The question is: Can we put ourselves to the side long enough to help it come to fruition? Can we not be so selfish that we help God bring unity to heaven and earth (v.10) What does this mean? If you know that you are insecure about your public speaking, God may want you to minister to people on a more individual level. If you are insecure about the way that you look, your goal may be to remind yourself that you are made in the image of God. If you are insecure about not having the right resources, understand that God is a provider and He will never leave you. God is inside of us and has invested in His plan. We are just the earthly vessels that He has chosen to use to make everything work.

Now, I know you are thinking, but what about my hopes and dreams. Well that doesn’t change the act that God chose you. It simply means that God wants you to put His plans first, so that He can make our plans align with His will (v.11). Unfortunately, since we often make plans without consulting the person making the investment, we have to restructure what we are doing after we’ve put in so much time. Think of it like a banker giving you a loan to start a business. They have to do a background check and approve your plan before they can give you the loan. However, God is different than the banker. It is okay for us to come to him with a messed-up background (insecure) and unfinished plan because He is the one who can clear of us our past and rewrite the plan so that He can get the glory (v.12). God left His mark on us when we first interacted with His word. He knew about all of our baggage and still sent the Holy Spirit (v.13). The gift of the Holy Spirit should be a constant reminder of how we must redefine ourselves in Him because He has so much greater in store for us (v.14). We have come too far to give up now, so let’s start rewriting.

Prayer: Heavenly Father first we want to thank you for the relationship that you allow us to have with you. Thank you for accepting us with open arms and immersing and investing in us. Thank you for being all that we will ever need despite our many insecurities. Lord clear my background and rewrite my plans. Help me define myself in you. I thank you so much for everything you are getting ready to do in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Taking Care of Your Temple

CJ Montgomery — Thu, 04 Jul 2019 07:00:23 +0000

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 6:19

In my life, I think that I have established a pretty standard routine of self-care. I brush my teeth and wash my face every morning and night. I go to the gym every now and then. I try to eat at least one vegetable with every meal. I think most people would say that I am taking great care of my temple. Unfortunately, I don’t feel the same way because there are days every now and then that I can’t stand to look at myself in the mirror. I don’t want people to compliment me, so I do whatever it takes to avoid conversation. It’s kind of ridiculous, but these are great signs that I am not taking care of my temple. These insecurities about my appearance come from the fact that I have so many unaddressed things on the inside of me that I try to overcompensate for that by looking good on the outside. However, God has asked us to honor Him with our bodies. He didn’t say honor Him with our flesh. He wants us to honor Him with everything we are made of.

When someone gets a new house, one of the first things they usually do before decorating and moving in is clean it up. God purchased His home in us over 2000 years ago when He sent His son to die on the cross, but many of us still haven’t given Him the chance to start the cleanup process so that He can move in. In fact, if we are being completely honest, there are still probably many boxes taking up space in our lives from the last residents who lived there (money, alcohol, relationships, etc.) that need to be tossed out. We are robbing God because He has paid His fee, but we won’t give Him the key to our heart. Just think about it, He is so excited to move in and show off His new home, but we are stopping Him. The question is why? Is it because those boxes make you comfortable? Is it because they are convenient? Is it because they endorse your bad habits? I want you to think about what happens when the boxes catch fire and the only thing that could’ve saved you is your new tenant that owns the extinguisher.

While it is true that God gives us tons of choices on Earth, He hopes that we will ultimately choose Him (v. 12-13). He is the one with the sanitation tools. He wants to come in and clean up His new home, but we must give Him the keys. We cannot continue to store our insecurities inside of a place that we do not own (v.19). I would love it if someone paid themselves to come clean up my room. It sounds wild, but that is what God did. We don’t have to pay a thing for Him to clean up, move in, or put out any fires that may try to come. We just have to give Him the keys. Once He has access, He will throw away those boxes and you will be able to look in the mirror and at other people with confidence. Please understand that clean up and move in does not happen in a day because it is a process that takes time. Even once He moves in, there may be moments where He needs to redecorate. God has the power to restore us and make us new, and this process begins in the temple (v.14). A house can look really beautiful on the outside and still be falling apart internally. You can repaint (put on makeup), put on a new roof (get your hair cut/ styled), plant a garden in the yard (buy new clothes). But, if there are no floors on the inside (Holy Spirit), can anyone actually move in? The Holy Spirit is ready to move into the Temple. Instead of trying to do all of the construction on your own, let Him move in and help. Continue working on the outside. Continue asking others to respect the temple. But don’t forget to give up the keys.

Prayer: God today I just want to say thank you. Thank you for paying for the temple and for cleaning it up and putting out all the fires. Lord I am ready for you to move out those old boxes. I want to give you the keys. Please take up space in me and show off your new home. I will be careful to give you all the praise, honor, and the glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Addressing Anxiety

CJ Montgomery — Thu, 11 Jul 2019 07:00:33 +0000

Scripture: Philippians 4:4-9

Key Verse: Philippians 4:6

In a world that is all about actionable items and having material things to show off your success, it can be pretty easy to become anxious about life. However, God has come so that we may have peace with and in our life. We have to trust that He is working things out for our good at all times even if we are not currently where the world says we should be. After reading this devotion, I pray that God frees you from your anxiety and covers you with peace.

It may sound like a weird concept, but one of the first things we can do as children of the most high God to address our anxiety is just rejoice (v.4). In the good and the bad, the happy and the sad, we must seek joy in God. How does one find joy in God when everything around you looks dark and impossible and all odd are against you? Well honestly friends sometimes you have to remember all the things God has blessed you with prior to and in that moment. The fact that you are alive and well enough today to read this devotion is reason to rejoice. God has not brought you this far in life to leave you. So, go ahead and praise Him in advance for what is to come. The fact that you are smiling in the midst of trouble will be evidence to the world that God is with you (v.5). It is also evidence that earthly problems do not control your joy because it is rooted in something bigger that the human mind can’t even comprehend.

Now what the world wants you to do is stress out. They want you to be in constant competition with the next person who could quite frankly care less about who you are and what you are doing. They want you to isolate from family and friends. They want you to be alone and inside of your head. However, God wants you to know that even if you are stressed right now everything is going to be alright because Romans 8:28 reminds us “that all things work together for the of them who love the Lord.” This means that bad grade on that test is going to work for your good. That broken relationship is going to work out for your good. That hidden insecurity or problem that no one knows about is going to work out for your good. ALL THINGS, not some things but ALL THINGS are working together for your good. God doesn’t want you to stress. He is commanding us to not be anxious (v.6). It isn’t an option because everything can be prayed about. There is nothing on this earth that we can’t talk to God about. He wants to hear from us. We have to believe that it is already done while being grateful for what He has already done.

In rejoicing and praying, the peace will come (v.7 &9). God’s peace can’t be explained it must be experienced. It will cover you and support you in ways that earth cannot. It will never leave you as long as you remain in the company of Christ. Anxiety cannot exist where God’s peace lives. God’s peace will stand guard at the doors of our heart. We must put Him first. We must put Him before any decision so that He can guide our steps. If you are anxious about a decision you are planning to make or have made recently, ask yourself did you pray about it. If you didn’t, ask yourself why that is. What is stopping you from talking to God about the life He gave you? If you did talk to Him, did you make time to wait for His response or did you ask Him to bless the decision you made for yourself? What does your prayer life look like? Are you praying about your anxiety or are you replacing prayer with man made medication that should only serve as a complement to the issue? God wants to help you. He wants to see you succeed. He wants to see you smile again. Will you trust Him today?

Prayer: Heavenly father, today I want to say thank you for all that you have done in my life. Thank you for health and strength. Thank you for removing this anxious spirit and giving me your Spirit that brings me peace. Lord I love you more than words can even explain. I never want to stop loving you and praising you. From this day forward I want you to be ruler of my life. Keep me in your care Show me your way. So that, when this life is over, you can get the glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Ignoring Earthly Acceptance

CJ Montgomery — Thu, 18 Jul 2019 07:00:53 +0000

Scripture: Romans 12:1-8

Key Verse: Romans 12:2

In the last devotion about anxiety, God revealed to me that a lot of our anxiety is rooted in earthly acceptance. All of us seek some sort of approval from some source whether its from friends, family, peers, teachers, or employers. We just want to be told that we are doing well or know that someone is proud of us. However, God warns us about seeking earthly approval or misusing earthly acceptance because the only approval that should matter is His.

Growing up, I used to despise participation trophies and awards because I didn’t understand why people who did absolutely nothing were rewarded for doing the bare minimum. However, now that I reflect back on those experiences, I realize that sometimes showing up was some people’s way of them giving their best. Because, if truth be told, there are many people who signed up for stuff but never showed up. I say all that to say when is the last time you thanked God for just showing up in your life. He didn’t do anything in that moment, but His presence was enough for you to reward Him with your praise. The same way you applaud God for His existence, you should be grateful for another day of life. God wants you to be proud of yourself for showing up in moments where you weren’t appreciated, moments where you didn’t feel needed, moments where people didn’t even acknowledge your existence. Today He wants you to know that you are enough. He wants you to know that your obedience was a sign of change and submission to His perfect will. The fact that you return to that environment day after day and still let your light shine means that the world cannot have you because you are His (v.2).

There may be others of you who are like some other people I grew up with. You won almost everything, and you didn’t care what others thought. In fact, you wondered why the people who just showed up didn’t try harder or do better. Today God wants you to humble yourself (v.3). He did not place you in that position to tear people to down or to “just be honest.” He put you in that position to help people soar, so that He can get the glory. As members of the body of Christ we all are placed on Earth with different purposes. As one body, if one part is weak or sick or bruised in any way the other parts have to compensate for that while it gets better. If you’ve ever had a broken or sprained bone think about how hard other parts of your body had to work until that part was better. That part of your body may have been overlooked, but, in that moment, you didn’t tell it to try harder or do better. No, you realized that it was healing so that it could serve its purpose and you allowed it to do that without judgement. Some people’s purpose on earth, believe it or not, is just to exist to help you to become humbler. What does that mean? Well it may mean that the person who shows up everyday and does what you perceive as the bare minimum and continues to audition for things and not be chosen every single time needs you. You may need to help with that part of the body until that area (person) heals. God is placing at your feet a chance for you to use your gift whatever that may be. (There are several opportunities listed in verses 6-8.) The question is: will you take it?

Maybe you didn’t fall into the first two categories, but you are like the other people I grew up with who said they didn’t care about what people thought and didn’t care what other people were doing. Well if that’s you today, God cares about what you’re doing. He wants to be there for you. He wants you to care about what He thinks. He wants you to walk in your purpose and become aligned with His will. He wants that to be the source of your joy. He loves you and needs you, but you have to trust Him and ignore whatever the world said or did to get you to this point. He wants you to know that you can start over with Him. The choice is yours.

Prayer: Lord today I am praying for everyone on this earth. Those being denied earthly acceptance, those who utilize their earthly acceptance as a reason to not walk in love, and especially those who fall into this gray area where they no longer care about acceptance. Lord today I am accepted by you, and I realize that is all that matters. I want to use my gift to walk in your purpose. Lord even if you decided today to get rid of all my earthly achievements, I know that you would sustain me and get the glory and for that I am grateful. Lord thank you for renewing my mind today. I now know that I have purpose in you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Identifying Your Support System

CJ Montgomery — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 07:00:25 +0000

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 4:7-12

Key Verse: Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Around America, there are very few people that have short work days or work weeks. There are very few people who feel like they have the time or money to do the things they once loved. So, having a solid support system can be hard. Nonetheless, this does not mean that this is an excuse to avoid having a solid support system because that work is honestly meaningless if you have no one to share the fruits of your labor with (v.8). If you don’t believe me, during creation, the only thing God said wasn’t good was the fact that man was alone (Genesis 2:18). All of that work that God put in to create the world and something still was missing. That discontentment in itself should be motivation as to why we need to have healthy relationships with other people that turn into our support system. A healthy relationship with someone in your support system should include the following: people who will help each other up, people who will keep each other “warm,” and people who will defend each other.

If you currently have no one in your life that you could call on when you made a mistake or needed financial assistance, then there is a good chance you need to reconstruct your support system and think about the role you play in other people’s support system (v.10). God has placed other people around you to help you, and you cannot allow your pride to stop you from receiving the aid you need. He also doesn’t want you to become so wrapped up in your own life that you can’t stop to help a friend. Even if you can’t help them financially, this may mean offering them a kind word or listening to them after a long day.

If you currently have no in in your life that you can turn to take care of you when you are feeling down, then there is a good chance you need to reconstruct your support system and think about the role you play in other people’s support system (v.11). There is no one who is busy at all times of the day. People make time for who and what they want to make time for, and God has called us to make time for each other. If you are feeling alone and your “friend” never has time to pick up the phone or you never have time to answer the phone to talk to people, then you should probably reconfigure your priorities before it is too late. The last thing you want is to be in a situation where you are the one who needs support, but you have neglected relationships around you for so long that there is no one there to give you the attention you need.

If you currently have no in in your life that is willing to defend you when people speak poorly about you, then there is a good chance you need to reconstruct your support system and think about the role you play in other people’s support system (v.12a). God wants us to stand up for each other and speak highly of each other. If only negative things come out of your mouth about someone that you consider your friend. First you need to pray about that relationship, but then you should go to that person and have a conversation about what is going on. If you hear others speaking poorly about someone, you should be willing to defend that member of your support system publicly and address that issue with them privately so that the bond can remain strong.

Even if you have checked all these three components off about your support system or yourself, no support system is complete without Christ (v. 12b). God should be at the center of every relationship you have and those that you are trying to build. Any relationship that has been put together by Christ and has Him at the center will be successful. Once you have these four components, you will have a strong support system that can handle any insecurity that may come your way.

Prayer: Lord thank you for this day. Thank you for the support system I currently have and the people that are currently in it. I thank you that even in this moment you are revealing to me people who I didn’t think cared or that I didn’t think valued my existence. I thank you right now that I will be a better friend to those around me. More importantly, I thank you that I am putting you at the head of my life and center of my relationships right now. In Jesus’ name, Amen.