Where would you be today if someone had spoken into the insecurities you wrestled with as a child?
Would the things that you struggle with now still be holding you back? I bet with some guidance from a healthy adult it would have helped shaped the way you viewed yourself and given you a healthier perspective. Would you be further along because of the time you had to spend wrestling those insecurities to the ground?
Children who don’t overcome their insecurities grow up to be adults with even more complicated insecurities. The problem with insecurities is that they keep the focus on you. You will think life is just about you. There are so many amazing things God wants you to do that you won’t be able to do as long as you are focused on yourself. Some of you know God has been asking you to do something for years but haven’t taken the first step because of insecurities.
Adults who don’t have their childhood insecurities addressed tend to replicate children with insecurities. Because these adults are only focused on their own issues, they tend to forget their children who are looking to them for guidance. Often these kids don’t get the support they need because their parents are too busy trying to work through their own pain, not realizing they are perpetuating the cycle in their child’s life. You can break the pattern!
What if you spoke directly into your child’s insecurities? What if you looked for ways to encourage them to move beyond those fears? What if you affirmed them every time they moved toward the things they are most apprehensive about? What would their adult years look like because you were so alert during their formative years?
Not only should you speak toward their insecurities, speak the attributes and values you want to bring out. Help steer their ship.
There will be lots of voices speaking into your child’s life. They will hear the voices of teachers, peers, coaches, cousins, grandparents, uncles & aunts, neighbors, media and…I think you get the point. Some of those voices will reinforce their insecurities and others will build them up. It’s impossible to eliminate all of the voices, but what you can make sure of is that your voice is the loudest. They want to know what you think. They need to hear what you think. God has placed you in your child’s life to help shape their heart and mind. You can navigate them through those insecurities. So speak up–it will significantly shape their adulthood!
