“The only way you can counterbalance outside external pressures is to have an internal sense of satisfaction about who you are and who God made you to be. You discover who you are by knowing whose you are.”
-Rick Warren
At the beginning of this year, I took some time away from social media to gain some perspective and take a break from the noise. Instead of consuming hundreds of pictures on Instagram every day, I held my son. Instead of reading every tweet in my Twitter feed, I had conversations with my wife. Where I would normally waste my day away glaring at my phone, I spent some much needed time in prayer and reading the word. I also didn’t post anything for awhile. Part of the reason I stepped away from the madness was that I was becoming too dependent on the approval of others, whether it be likes, new followers, retweets, or responses. Deep down these things don’t really matter to me but I found myself caring more and more. I love being able to share with the circle of people around me, but I don’t want to care about status or recognition. But a lot of the time, I can’t help it.
I’ve always struggled with how people view me. Growing up, I wanted everyone to like me. It would tear me up inside if I knew someone had a problem with me or was angered by something I did. Even as a 28 year old grown man I still have the same insecurities. Being in the music industry does it to me sometimes. Do I dress cool enough? Am I skinny enough? Do people like me for me or for the company I keep? Can I keep up with the demands of being on stage? Am I being a good friend to people? Husband? Dad? I have struggled with the topic of self worth for some time now. This internal battle of the heart can drag you down and take you under.
Today, I just wanted to encourage you and let you know that if you have these insecurities, you are not alone. There are so many people in the world who share the same story. Our society puts pressure on us to become something we are not. The stress of trying to keep up with everyone else is so defeating and joy stealing. The only way for you and I to compete with our insecurity is to find our identity. Our identity is what defines us. If we lose our identity, we become lifeless and wavering.
If we have lost our identity, how do we find it again? I believe we always go to Jesus. In Matthew 8:12 he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Jesus defines himself in this verse. He knew who He was. In order to figure out who we are, we must first realize whose we are. We were created by God, for God and are loved by Him.
Whenever you feel the pressure to keep up with the people around you, remember that you are not defined by those people. Your worth is the Lord.
Whenever you feel tempted to look to other people for affirmation, look to Jesus. You may never be able to look down on the world from the top, but in His eyes you are his finest creation.
Whenever you are bogged down by the world and the people in it, reach for Him and He will pull you out of the darkness.
Perspective is everything. Taking a step back, catching your breath, and refocusing your journey will help you when these questions of self-worth creep in to your mind. You are a treasure in the eyes of God and that is all that matters.
I pray against the pressures and stress of not feeling good enough or worthy enough. I have tried to limit my time on social media too. Not giving life to things we struggle with is one way to help defeat the voice in our head that tells us we aren’t good enough. May we refocus our eyes on the things that matter, seeing life and the people around us through the eyes of our Maker.
