Insecurities Part 2 - (Episode 24)

In this episode, Kelsey talks about insecurities about the body and how we look at our ourselves and compare ourselves to other people in a society where we can see everything.

Transcript

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Hi everybody, welcome back to another episode, or welcome for the first time of the Hertz podcast. My name is Kelsey Hertz, and usually I have my husband sitting right next to me, but I am filming insecurities part two by myself today. So the idea was to film an episode about insecurities together, but if you didn't watch last week's episode or listen to it, I was sick, so Peyton took on part one where he talked about insecurities in regards to capabilities, skills. He offers a great perspective because he's in a workforce that requires a lot of skill, hands-on. And today I'm taking the approach of self-image and specifically being consumed by insecurities. So I'm going to use some personal experiences, of course, go to scripture and just kind of dive into the topic and how we can kind of work to combat insecurities, especially when we're consumed by them. Looking back this weekend, so I'm actually filming this on a Saturday. Peyton is at work right now. He's going to be working Saturdays. So a little supportive wife moment. I'm really proud of my hardworking husband. So today I've kind of just been cleaning the house, relaxing, and we're really taking in time together before I go back to work because that's when it just gets really busy. And yeah, next week I we have some things to do, things to get done, and I'm sure we'll talk about that next episode. So thank you for joining today. Again, today is just a little bit different, but we appreciate your patience. I'm feeling better. I'm back and I'm ready to dive into this topic. Alright, well, I kind of already recapped a little bit about what Peyton talked about last week. Um, I'm sure he touched on the definition of insecurities, but insecurity is really just when you don't feel capable to do something or you have a lack of confidence. Um, it doesn't just have to be a skill, like I just touched on. It can be your self-image. Um it can really just spread to different areas of your life. And I think that it's a topic that isn't always in our face, but it's always in our mind, if that makes sense. We're not always aware of the insecurities, especially if you're consumed. I'm speaking from experience. When I'm consumed by something, it just can sometimes be a normal thought process. But recognizing that their insecurities, whatever it might be, is such a good step to start at to be ordered to be able to combat whatever that might be. Um, so I kind of wanted to talk about my goal of this podcast. Um, I wanted to, again, just share my experiences in a way that is encouraging. Um, I wanted to dig into the word and go to God and remind us that it's so important to fix our eyes on Jesus every day, every moment, but also when we're struggling with anything that makes us feel less than who we are as a child of God. So I really hope that I can encourage you today. And I'm also talking to myself in this, uh, because I still struggle with insecurities, which you I will kind of touch on. So I wanted to talk about like the root of insecurities because I think, in order to understand why you may think or feel a certain way about yourself, we can always look back. Um, and I don't do this to dwell on the past, but I do this more because I want to understand where my current insecurities may stem from in order to understand myself more as I go to God to help me. Um, and I think in middle school, I look back and um I was a 2003 baby. Woo-hoo. Um, and I had a taste of lack of technology in my life, but it was very fast, it was very fleeting because then social media became a thing quickly, iPod touches, all of that, and we know how fast technology advances. Um and so I was on social media in middle school, and I found myself very early on comparing myself to people, um, self-image-wise and probably in other ways too, but um focusing on trends and realizing that I was not what I saw was the trend, even though, mind you, I was a growing girl. Um, and so it was just created like a space where I didn't feel enough because I didn't look like what the world told me to look like at a specific time in my life. Um, and I'm sure like relationships and friendships have caused insecurities to surface as well. But just looking back, those are just a couple of things that come to mind. Um, and I know that insecurities can come and go. So when I'm talking about being consumed, when you're consumed by something, it's all you think about. And I don't know about you, but I can fall into seasons of that, whether it's for a day, for a week. Um, and being aware of that is very powerful because it allows me to understand and take a step back from being consumed and what boundaries to set up, and first and foremost go to God and any thoughts that do not reflect my worth or that I'm a child of God. So, anyways, when I say consumed, it's a major focus. Um, it causes you to react in a way where you might isolate yourself. Um, it's difficult to enjoy experiences, your mind constantly goes to your insecurities, and again, your self-worth is affected. And as I was writing out this list, I've realized that all of this just screams at pulling your attention from Jesus. You're not fixing your eyes on Jesus, you're fixing your eyes on yourself and your issues, which I want to put in quotation marks. Um, if you're listening, I did the quotation marks. And it just pulls you away from what the Lord has for you when you're consumed by something that reflects the world. Um, and I don't know about you, but when I experience insecurities, it doesn't allow me to be kingdom-minded. It doesn't allow me to be there for others. And our goal as Christians are to turn our eyes to Jesus. Um, and I want the goal of this podcast to also be to see ourselves through God's eyes. So if you're not dealing with insecurities, if you're not in that season, um, maybe this is just a good reminder for you to listen to. So again, I'm talking about self-image, and self-image, it's a very vulnerable thing, and I believe vulnerability breaks chains. So I just want to be honest. Um, this past week, actually, which I find it so funny, not funny, ha ha, but it was really a struggle. I dealt with a lot of insecurities, and insecurities surfaced that I didn't understand why they were surfacing. Um, and then I realized that our goal was to do a podcast about insecurities, and that is how the devil works. He is a liar, and um, right away, like my mind was a battlefield. So Peyton was such a um rock for me during this time, and he noticed and he he told me, He's like, Kelsey, you're trying to do this by yourself, you're trying to get better by yourself. And um, he actually like spoke scripture over me, which I know I've talked about in the identity podcast, the importance of scripture and speaking it over ourselves. Um, and so I'm just so thankful for him that he was able to do that in that moment because it wasn't my first reaction, my first go-to, although I wish I could say, sit here and say it was. Uh, so I'm gonna read the scripture that he read over me. And it's all again, I have two Bibles here. I have six scriptures I'm reading total, so please bear with me. Starting with Philippians 4 13, that's a good one. I can do all through him who gives me strength. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. So, again, pointing that we're not doing this alone. Whatever the battle is, maybe it's a sickness, maybe it's again a mental battle like I was experiencing. We're not doing it alone. We can do it by the Lord's strength. The next scripture that he read over me was Ephesians 2.10. For we are God's handiwork created in Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus, to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. So again, we have a purpose. Um, and lastly, I remember him reading Isaiah 40, 13 over me. Who can fathom the spirit of the Lord or instruct the Lord as his counselor? And I think that this just points back to the sovereignty of the Lord and his authority, his power, his wisdom to do, to do so much uh for us. So, again, just pointing to who God is, and I was putting myself on such a pedestal, looking back, um, again, not in a prideful way, but in a way that I was just consumed about thoughts of myself, and it didn't allow me to be there for my family, for my friends, for my it's it's just a scheme of the devil, I believe, um, to get in our heads and to lie to us. So those scriptures really, the truth just pointed back to how powerful God is and how he is our loving father, pointed to his attributes. I turned my eyes to Jesus. Um, and I want to say right now that there are things when I think about insecurities, like, yes, we can always better ourselves, we can better our health, our mental health, we can better our spiritual health. Um, but there are also things that the devil attacks specifically our worth when we are already worthy, um, when we are children of God. And so here are some things that continued to help me through my rough patch this past week, which I am feeling better. And I think that looking at what happened this past week um in a positive light, I think that I was really able to face head-on what we were about to talk about, and it allowed me to have the skills and apply them so that I could then voice them to the podcast and encourage you all. So here's what helped me when I was really consumed by my insecurities. Structure my day to glorify the Lord and not do it by myself. So, reading the Bible in the morning, again, game changer. Um, and I know I've mentioned before that sometimes I struggle with it, and there's other seasons where I'm stronger, and my goal is to be more consistent in reading the Word of God because it's very important. Um, put restrictions on social media. This second one is a big one. I talked about how in middle school a lot of my insecurities stemmed from all of the things that I was seeing as a kid, what I should look like, what I should be like. Um, and that came back up this past week, and just having to be like, okay, this is not real life. Like social media to an extent is real life, but we all know that we post what people want to see, whatever it might be. But it was just a way for it to kind of unravel my thinking, uh, social media specifically. So I've had to stop um being on it as much, which has helped me tremendously. And I fill that time with social, or I fill that time with reading a book, I fill that time with reading the Bible, whatever it might be. My next point is be vulnerable with God and others. Ask for prayer. Sorry for that cough. Um this was kind of a hard one for me. Which usually I I tend to be more vulnerable just like I am today. But again, when you're surrounded with a bunch of insecurities when it's consuming you, I don't know if you can relate, but I tend to isolate. Um, but really reaching out is so important. Again, Peyton met me where I was at, um, and he pointed me to God, and just like God met me where I was at, and getting out of that mindset and not focusing on myself, but turning to God did tremendous, tremendous work for me. Um, and again, encouragement. It ha God hasn't given up on us. So encouraging yourself with scripture, um, worshiping, you know. I think if we can turn from looking at ourselves so much in such a negative way to and worship the Lord who created us, what a mindset shift. I actually saw a post today, again, I'm restricting social media, but I did see a post today where they were talking about how whenever they seem to struggle mentally or like whatever might come up from the past where they're just like dealing with old things that they were saved from. It's when they are not reading the Bible. And it's kind of a it was alluding to like a reminder of we need to remember like what all God saved us from. Like it was creeping back up in it was creeping up back into this person's mind, but then it allowed them to see like, oh yeah, God saved me from this. So a mindset shift. Let's praise the Lord, let's understand my worth. I am a child of God first and foremost, uh, which I know I talked a lot about in the identity episode. So some of this might sound similar, but moving forward, I want to give some encouragement. And while I was kind of thinking about what to say for this podcast, I wanted to read scripture that points to who God is, but also who we are because of Him. So I'm gonna start with Joshua 1.9. It says, Have I not commanded you be strong and courageous, do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. I want to read that again because that's just so I'm soaking that in. Have I not commanded you be strong and courageous, do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Whatever insecurity you may face, um, if it's self-image or whatever it might be, knowing that God is with you allows you to walk through a struggle with the Father in control. It allows you to know, it allows you to be mindful of that, and I think that it gives you so much confidence in that way. And so I also want to point out how it says, do not be afraid, do not be discouraged. I wonder how much of an insecurity is just us being afraid that we're not enough, or us being discouraged because we believe we're not enough. Um, and I really think that can be the root of insecurities. You're you think you're lacking something, but you're not. The Lord has you, and the Lord has has has said many times in scripture who you are. Um, so I think when we let the world in and let the world tell us who we should be, what we should be, that's when insecurities can tend to surface. But if we fix our eyes on Jesus, how how how strong you are standing firm in his word, um, how beautiful that is that we can better fix our eyes on Jesus. And I believe that insecurities won't surface as much. Speaking from experience, um Galatians 6, 9. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Um, I just want to show that with this verse, if you do not feel seen, um God sees you. I like that verse. Then 2 Timothy 1 7, this one really stuck out to me. It says, for the spirit God gave us does not, let me read that again. I read that wrong. For the spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-control. Sorry guys, self-discipline. Um, for the spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline. Um I like this verse a lot because again, I think of when I feel insecure, the feelings that really surface, but I think they're kind of hidden. It comes out as obviously lack of confidence, but there's also fear there. Um, so knowing that the Lord, if I feel fear, like that is not of the Lord. Fear about myself, fear about my worth, that is not of the Lord. What's of the Lord is um love, self-discipline, like I just read, and the power that he gives us. The Lord gives us power. Um, and I want to also think of that like he gives us confidence. So I really liked those verses, and I just want to stress that going to scripture is really helpful, especially in the morning. It really helps set the tone for my day. And I've I've kind of viewed it like this like obviously this world is not of God and spiritual warfare, and I feel like I kind of have to defend my mind. So when I wake up, I want to defend my mind by reading my Bible first, not going to social media. I want to defend my mind by listening to worship music, not to secular things that might make me question my worth. Just little things like that. They seem like little details, but really when we look back, they're such big things. Uh, fixing our eyes on Jesus again is a constant theme in this podcast. Uh, and if you're not consumed by insecurity, first off, thank you for making it to the end. Because if you can't relate to what I'm saying, and I appreciate you still listening and taking this as a reminder. But if you're not consumed by insecurity, what are you consumed by that does not allow you to fix your eyes on Jesus? Because again, I think I could also just call this episode Fix Your Eyes on Jesus. Um and if you're not consumed by constantly turning to the Lord and what what your day-to-day looks like, if you're not going to the Lord, and um, what are you consumed by? And if you have insecurities from a past mistake, I also wanted to touch on this section. Um, if you have insecurities because of who you used to be before being a Christ follower or when you fell short, um, you are made new. And once you repent and turn to God, you know, you are a new creation. And so I just wanted to encourage you with that because I think that when insecurities tend to surface, especially because of as a result of decisions we've made in the past, that can be very condemning. I want to say condemnation, which is the same thing, but um, that can be very condemning. So I just want to encourage you that um you are a new creation. So yeah, I hope that this all made sense. I know I I kind of just dove into scripture, and that is really how we can battle the things of this world is by going to God and his word um because it is the truth, and we always want to read the truth on our podcast. If this is your first episode listening to us, um, thank you for listening. Thank you for sticking to the end. Peyton and I will be back next week and we will have a new topic. I did want to say if you have a topic that you would like us to discuss, um, if we feel led to it, uh, you can go ahead and comment it, comment it. I think that would be fun. So yeah, thank you for listening. Our podcast is on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Again, we also have an Instagram called the Hertz Podcast. Those are more lifestyle videos, get to know us videos outside of our podcast, but we also post content about our podcast. How many times did I say podcast? All right, thank you for listening. Have a great rest of your week. We'll see you next week.