Insecurity
When we consider the things that a person might grab to provide a feeling of security, we must understand that these are generally very destructive substitutes. Alcohol, drugs, pornography, overeating, escape into fantasy through roll playing games, gangs, etc. Some even go to an extreme of being hyper-controlling, trying to control everyone one around them, becoming something like a dictator when they get married and have children, or if they get some authority at work or church, become incredibly demanding. All these things can seem to provide a sense of security at first, but at length, they become our persecutors and are stronger than we are, and just as David expresses in verse 7, they become our prisons. They often become prisons because they are kept as secret sins hidden from everyone else. Our secrets will become our prisons. They are also prisons because of their addictive nature.
In doing a fair amount of Biblical Counseling, I have seen this pattern repeated over and again. Someone experiences a crisis in their home between the ages of 8-14, shortly after this they are exposed to something that provides a false sense of security, and they become addicted to it. Later in life, though they want to be free, they cannot seem to get victory over it. Often this is because they are trying to deal with the actions without dealing with the source that caused them to seek a replacement for what they were missing.
Lest you think that insecurity is only an issue that hardened addicts face, let me share my own testimony with you. When I was about 10 years old, there was a lot of turmoil in our home. We had moved to a new city for the third time I could remember. My dad was a pastor who was very driven to build the church. For several years we barely saw him, and when he was home, there was often conflict. Things were bad enough that my mother considered leaving. I want to be clear that I have good parents and there were a lot of changes made following this time. They are still married and have been a great example to me of being willing to make changes to make marriage work. During that time, I was, however, as you might expect, incredibly insecure. When parents fight, kids worry; they have doubts about their security. There is little in this world that frightens a child more than the idea that their parents will not be there for them.
During this period, a family visited our church that had a son just a little older than me. His dad had dirty magazines and he had found one. This was the first time in my life I had ever seen pornography. Like most young men, this exposure to pornography created a temptation in my life. I praise God for His deliverance from the feelings of insecurity, but for some time after this ,when there was an issue in my life that stirred up my insecurities, this temptation would return.
