Insecurity can lead to error (Part 1)
Dr. Roberto Miranda
SUMMARY: Insecurity can lead to risky and self-defeating decisions, as seen in the case of King Jehoshaphat. His need for approval and to prove himself led him to join ungodly men in military campaigns that nearly cost him his life. Our own past negative experiences can also sow seeds of insecurity and hunger for approval, but we must seek healing and be vigilant against these tendencies to stay aligned with God's will.
How many times do we believers, when socially meeting with unbelievers, feel an obligation to prove that we are just as gregarious, cheerful, or bold as they are, or that we are not stereotypical starchy evangelicals? Frequently through this attitude we reveal our insecurity about how we are perceived by outsiders, as well as our compulsive need for approval from others.
Evidently, that kind of insecurity was a recurring theme in King Jehoshaphat's psyche. That personal weakness inclined him to make risky and ultimately self-defeating decisions. On one occasion, Joram of Israel, an ungodly king and one of King Ahab's successors, invited Jehoshaphat to join him in a military campaign against the kingdom of Moab. Interestingly, Jehoshaphat's response is immediate, and very similar to the one he had given Ahab years ago when he invited him to the campaign against Ramoth-gilead: “I will go, because I am like you; my people like your people, and my horses like yours ”(2 Kings 3: 7). It is obvious that there was something about Jehoshaphat about the man who was somewhat insecure, eager to prove his manhood and his worth to others.
Evidently, that kind of insecurity was a recurring theme in King Jehoshaphat's psyche. That personal weakness inclined him to make risky and ultimately self-defeating decisions. On one occasion, Joram of Israel, an ungodly king and one of King Ahab's successors, invited Jehoshaphat to join him in a military campaign against the kingdom of Moab. Interestingly, Jehoshaphat's response is immediate, and very similar to the one he had given Ahab years ago when he invited him to the campaign against Ramoth-gilead: “I will go, because I am like you; my people like your people, and my horses like yours ”(2 Kings 3: 7). It is obvious that there was something about Jehoshaphat about the man who was somewhat insecure, eager to prove his manhood and his worth to others.
