I really struggle with being a parent. Don’t get me wrong…I love being a parent and I love my kids with all my heart, but I often wonder if I am making the right decisions as a parent. Am I being too strict? Am I being to lenient? Am I allowing them to eat too much junk food? Am I setting the proper boundaries for them? Am I protecting them from harmful influences? Do they know I love them? Do they think I am a good dad? I could go on. I guess I feel so insecure as a parent because I know I am not perfect. How can I set the right example for my kids when there are so many things in me that need to change? I guess when I think about it, I feel the same way as a pastor. Am I setting the right example for my people? Do they know I care? Am I giving them the right content? If I am honest, I feel the same way as a husband. Does she know she means more to me than any other woman in the world? Am I providing the security she needs? Does she get the respect from me that she deserves? Since I am being transparent, I also struggle with being a follower of Christ. Does God know I love Him? Does He think I am an obedient child? Is He disappointed when I do wrong? Insecurity seems to be prevalent in most of our relationships, quickly leading to discouragement and defeat. So, what do we do when we feel we don’t measure up? How do we react when we know we may have failed as a dad, a husband, an employee, and as a follower of Christ? We must realize that we will never measure up…we will never be perfect…we will never have it all together. Maybe that is not what you thought you would hear, but it is true. Inadequacy and insecurity will plague us for the rest of our life. So, do we just give up and quit trying to be the right kind of person? No. When we finally realize that we cannot measure up on our own, we are ready to allow God to live through us. Paul writes to the church at Ephesus regarding this matter. “Do not be drunk with wine…but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). A person who is drunk with wine is not acting like themselves, but is being controlled by the alcohol…Paul says not to do this. But rather a follower of Christ should be filled with God so that He controls your actions and not yourself. When we give God control over our attitudes, actions, and reactions it enhances all the relationships we have. Read Ephesians 5:15-6:9...He changes everything!