How can feelings of insecurity affect my relationships?

Mark 12:29-31Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

Strong, loving relationships with people begin with our relationship with God. Knowing that he made and loves us gives us identity and security and enables us to love others. When we feel insecure about ourselves, we cannot love others as we should.

Mark 9:34They [Jesus’ disciples] didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest.

Feelings of insecurity can lead to wanting to exalt ourselves, to feel important and needed. This then can lead to discontent, arguing, and broken fellowship.

1 Samuel 18:7-9This was their song: “Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands!” This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!” So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.

1 Samuel 18:28-29When Saul realized that the Lord was with David and how much his daughter Michal loved him, Saul became even more afraid of him, and he remained David’s enemy for the rest of his life.

1 Samuel 19:1Saul now urged his servants and his son Jonathan to assassinate David. But Jonathan, because of his close friendship with David, told him what his father was planning. “Tomorrow morning,” he warned him, “you must find a hiding place out in the fields. I’ll ask my father to go out there with me, and I’ll talk to him about you. Then I’ll tell you everything I can find out.”

1 Samuel 20:30-31Saul boiled with rage at Jonathan. “You stupid son of a whore!” he swore at him. “Do you think I don’t know that you want him to be king in your place, shaming yourself and your mother? As long as that son of Jesse is alive, you’ll never be king. Now go and get him so I can kill him!”

Our feelings of insecurity can result in envying others to the point of seeking to harm them.