What Insecure Worship Leaders Need

I never thought I was insecure. Until I realized I was human.

But if you want to lead, you can’t stay there. You need to overcome insecurity. Fight it to the death. Be prepared to attack when it rears its ugly head. I’m not being dramatic. If you want to lead, insecurity must die.

Consider the best leader in your life. What made them so effective? Why did you love them? It probably had something to do with how they empowered you to be your best. Not that their coaching and feedback was always easy and stroked your ego, but it was what you needed. And it was delivered in a way that moved you forward, rather than holding you back.

A great leader creates unlimited space for others around them. The sign of an effective leader will always be their team because they are living for something beyond themselves. It’s a vision that includes maximizing the collective potential of everyone under their care. This applies to worship ministry, but also marriage, parenting, business and sports.

But an insecure leader won’t let this happen. Insecurity will always hold you back, 100 percent of the time. Why? Because an insecurity always acts in its own best interests. An insecure leader is too concerned with their own image and reputation to allow others to thrive. Team members are only a means to make an insecure leader look better. And when they don’t, they are written off.

The space around an insecure leader is small. But that’s not you. Right?

I feel like God has always put me in situations where my insecurity can be dealt with. Isn’t that nice of Him? Like the time in college I made the renowned traveling team and wrote an original song that made the record. Except that it was mixed and mastered with the bass an entire beat behind.

How does that even happen? It was my moment to shine. Instead, I was embarrassed.

Or the 1,000 times I’ve felt overlooked or unappreciated.

Situations like this reveal where our hearts are and what we’re truly building with our lives. So if insecurity is to be avoided, what do we strive for?

The opposite of insecurity is a God-centered life. If you allow God to satisfy the deepest parts of who you are, your leadership won’t be a proving ground for your worth. It will be a battleground for Kingdom impact.

Of course, this isn’t easy. It’s not a snap of the finger. There’s a lot of inner work that needs to be done. But I’ll tell you this: It’s worth it.

God centered security. Knowing who we are. Without it, insecurity will always win.

Insecurity will keep you from developing others. You’ll be too concerned with getting ahead.
Insecurity will keep you from empathy. You’re too busy being the center of attention.
Insecurity will keep you from compassion. Because no one was ever there for you, right?
Insecurity will keep you from growing a large team. You are the lid that limits the growth.
Insecurity will keep you from your creative potential. Because you aren’t the best and you need a team.
Insecurity will keep you from pastoring people. Instead, you’ll use them for your own ends.

A victory today would be to call out your own insecurity. Name it. And go to war. And that war is worship. There’s nothing more deadly to insecurity than worship. Worship puts everything in context: We see Who God is, we see who we are, and we become more satisfied to “seek first the Kingdom.”

His Presence changes everything. Do you agree?

This article originally appeared here.