Kolob Canyon in  Zion National Park in Utah

Self-Esteem

When someone says they have low self-esteem, are they saying they lack confidence and pride in themselves? 

How should we think about ourselves? Should our self-esteem, our self-image, be primarily negative or positive?

You probably know people who think more highly of themselves than they ought to think. We all do. Then on the other hand, we know others who truly show humility in their greatness. 

Knowing who we truly are and our capabilities is paramount. The Bible tells us all we need to know on the subject. Psychology can only help us if it conforms to what God says; otherwise, it does  more harm than good.

First of all, we came into existence through a special creative act of God. He made us in His image. Because of sin, we fell from that original estate of right-being and became totally depraved in every area of our being. We were born with an evil, depraved, selfish, self-centered nature, which means nothing about us is good. We cannot choose good because we lack the ability, even though we possess the freedom.

The good news is: God, out of His mere good pleasure, did not leave all of us in that estate of sin misery but entered into a covenant friendship, electing some to everlasting life through a Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. It was and is the marvelous and miraculous help mankind needed to bring us out of our sin and misery and bring us into an estate of salvation.

How do we take hold of this salvation? The answer: By faith!

What actually happens is that God's Spirit convinces us of our sin and misery, enlightens our minds in the knowledge of Christ and renews our wills. Then He causes us to see the awfulness of who we really are, persuading and enabling us to embrace the Lord Jesus as He is freely offered to us in the gospel.

Only as we are redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ through faith and given a new nature, can we do anything good. Only then can we possess the right kind of confidence in ourselves as Christ lives and works in and through us. If we miss the total depravity of our being, we miss the truth about self-esteem.

We Christians should have a healthy and accurate evaluation of ourselves. The evaluation which we make and customarily maintain with regard to ourselves, must be based upon God's word and not on our own feelings and opinions.  This is the key to clear thinking and mental freedom.  

We are nothing and Christ is everything; however, as Christ lives in us we can truly say:  "I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me - - I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me, [that is, I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency]" (Philippians 4:13 AMP).

Can you see how this truth rids you not only of a negative self-image, but of pride in yourself?

When we bring our thoughts and actions in line with what the Bible says, realizing that it is Christ living in us that energizes us to right living, and not we ourselves, our evaluation of ourselves becomes wholesome. We then take on the correct understanding and a right balance we need for mental health and spiritual completeness.

Now having said all this, look at what the Bible says about "esteem."

"Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves . . . Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:" (Philippians 2:3,4 KJV).

The Amplified Bible says:

"Do nothing from factional motives - - through contentiousness, strife, selfishness or for unworthy ends - - or prompted by conceit and empty arrogance. Instead, in the true spirit of humility (lowliness of mind) let each regard the others as better than and superior to himself - - thinking more highly of one another than you do of yourselves. Let each of you esteem and look upon and be concerned for not [merely] his own interests, but also each for the interests of others. Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus. - - Let Him be your example in humility - - (2:3-5).

The exercise of self-esteem is predominately a "self" look instead of a "God-look." Confidence in ones self should be what results when we see who we are in Christ from His prospective; however, that is seldom our goal when we set out to increase our self- esteem.

Jesus tells us we can do all things through Him who gives us strength. He goes on to say that our eyes are to be on Him, trusting Him to work in us to will and to do HIS good pleasure. His good pleasure should be our goal, NOT WHAT WE DEEM PLEASURABLE AND GOOD. Of course our goals conform to His goals when we place or confidence in Him and not in ourselves.

The "catch" here is in realizing He is everything and we are nothing and can do nothing apart from Him.

Zion National Park in Utah

Arches National Park in Moab, Utah

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