In today’s humanistic culture many people define self-esteem as “feelings of worth based on their skills, accomplishments, status, financial resources, or appearance.”
In other words... how you feel about yourself depends in large part on the car you drive; the clothes you wear; the education you have; your job and professional accomplishments; all the cool things you can do; the balances in bank accounts and investment portfolios; and of course how pretty or good looking you are.
This kind of self-esteem can lead a person to feel independent, prideful and to indulge in self-worship, which dulls ones desire for God.
James 4:6 tells us that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” If we only trust in our earthly resources, we will inevitably be left with a sense of worth based on pride. Jesus told us, “You also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty’” (Luke 17:10).
This does not mean that Christians should suffer with low self-esteem. It only means that our sense of being a good person should not depend on what we do, or what we have, or what we look like, but rather on “who we are” in Christ. Our true value is only found in our relationship with God. Valuing the things He values, living in harmony with Him earns us His “esteem” and should enhance the feelings we have of ourselves.
We need to humble ourselves before Him, and He will honor us. Psalm 16:2 reminds us, “I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.’” Christians attain self-worth and esteem by having a right relationship with God. We can know we are valuable because of the high price God paid for us through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.
In one sense, low self-esteem is the opposite of pride. In another sense, low-self-esteem is a form of pride. Some people have low self-esteem because they want people to feel sorry for them, to pay attention to them, to comfort them. Low self-esteem can be a declaration of “look at me” just as much as pride. It simply takes a different route to get to the same destination, that is, self-absorption, self-obsession, and selfishness. Instead, Christians are to be selfless, to die to self, and to deflect any attention given to us... towards the great God who created and sustains us.
The Bible tells us that God gave us "worth" when He purchased us to be His own people (Ephesians 1:14). Because of this, only He is worthy of honor and praise. When we have healthy self-esteem, we will value ourselves enough to not become involved in sins and attitudes that enslave us.
Instead, we should conduct ourselves with humility, thinking of others as better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). Romans 12:3 warns, “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.”
NEXT WEEK... more insights and thoughts on Self-Esteem
