Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”

So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. (‭Luke‬ ‭5‬:‭18-25‬ NIV)

Fear, pride, and shame fuel the insecurities that can paralyze us, but greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. The enemy is a liar, and he makes it his priority to keep us down. He comes only to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came that we would have life and more abundantly.

In previous devotionals, we have focused on the importance of acknowledging our identity, and now we must assess our insecurities. You have to know what is out of alignment before you can calibrate things properly. So, we must know what insecurities we possess before we can align our minds.

Based out of Luke 5:18-25, here are 4 Steps to Assessing Your Insecurities:

1. Request – We need to request at least 4 friends and/or prayer warriors to carry us to Jesus in prayer with the same faith and persistence as the friends of the paralyzed man. We must ask them to pray for Jesus to specifically address the real issues in our lives. You will notice that Jesus didn’t just heal the man of his physical disability. He also addressed his spiritual infirmity. He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

2. Reveal – Ask Jesus to reveal your insecurities! If we are not aware of our insecurities, how can we work on them? Have you ever noticed that it is so much easier to point out other people’s issues than it is to recognize your own. This is why it is so important for us to pray that God will reveal our insecurities to us.

The following are a few possible questions to ask of Jesus:
a. What fear is holding me back?
b. What am I trying to control?
c. What shame is paralyzing me?

3. Repent – It’s time to be honest with yourself and with the Lord. As Jesus reveals your insecurities, take time to repent of the sins associated with them! 1 John 1:8-9 says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” There is freedom that comes with confession!

4. Respond – Jesus told the paralyzed man to take up his mat and go home. As you have gone through the process of assessing your insecurities, did the Lord reveal to you anything that you need to do? Do you need to call someone? Do you need to face a fear? What burden does He want you to lay down? Is there anything that you are physically being asked to follow through on? If so, step out in response to Jesus!

Challenge: Leave it to Jesus to reveal your insecurities, but you must request, repent, and respond.  Take time to follow through with the 4 Steps to Assessing Your Insecurities!  Don’t allow the enemy to keep you down any longer…