I've come to realize that a primary issue affecting the majority of people is our failure to deal with insecurity. From corporate CEO's to blue collar workers to stay at home moms, insecurity dictates our thought process and therefore our responses and actions. It controls, or at least influences, how we relate to others and even how we perceive others. So much of our relational lives are adversely affected by this influence and we are missing incredible opportunities that are trying to present themselves to us. In the realm of relationships we are losing out on so many good and positive people and experiences, choosing to hide behind our wall of insecurity. While I will not address the broad topic of dealing with insecurities here I do want to speak to one key factor that I feel is so incredibly vital while yet incredibly simple.
It's a theological matter. So many times I have heard those who are quite insecure in their theological understanding belittle the whole concept of devoting yourself to the study of theology. It is how we deal with these areas of our lives, attack the thing that we fear most. If we are insecure in an area we tend to attack anyone around us that we perceive as "better" in that area. A good offense is the best defense. This is played out in so many lives every day in the arena of self worth and millions are crushed under the weight of not being enough.
It is my opinion, and I think the opinion of many of the fathers of the church, that a fundamental flaw in our theology has propagated this problem. It is quite simply a lack of knowing who the Father, Son, and Spirit really are in their perichoresis. To put a definition to this Greek word, lets simply say it is the way that two or more entities make space for one another in complete unity without losing the distinctness of themselves. As many are now saying it, it is a self giving, other centered love. It is the most incredibly beautiful thing imaginable and the very foundation of creation itself. It is the vision John is trying to give us in the first verse of his gospel account, the Word (Christ) face to face with the Father, in the Spirit. It was total unity and oneness, other centered love without limits flowing freely. It was the foundation of creation, an overflow of the other centered love of the Trinity.
"Let Us make man in our image..." This very statement should tell us all we need to know. Once we understand that there is no division in the Godhead (It was a formal heresy to try and divide the character of Father, Son, and Spirit in the early church as they are of the exact same substance), that the outflow of who They are by Their very nature produces all of 'creation' to participate in that Kenotic, other centered love. It was the most natural thing that could happen based on Who They (the Trinity) are. A love so overflowing something had to be created to experience it. Something so incredibly loved that it issues out of the Lord Himself in His very image.
Yes, you and I are the outflow of the love of a triune God, made in His divine image, fearfully and wonderfully made. We are made to carry His love and to experience the depths and fullness of it. There has never been a time that you were not loved completely and you cannot do one thing to change that. God would have to change His very nature and substance in order to not love you and He does not change. You and I cannot escape His love expressed towards us even if we make our bed in Hades. Even the Holy angels look at us and marvel in great wonder.
Now I ask you this one simple question: What is it that you are insecure concerning and is it not covered by the very nature of your creation in the likeness and image of God and His complete and overwhelming love for you before you could do one thing to please Him?
My hope is that in this revelation we find ourselves secure and grounded in the one whose love manifested us.
