What Does The Bible Say About Self Esteem

God Has Confidence In Us

When we look up Bible verses on self-confidence, we read mostly verses that explain how our confidence comes from God. It starts in the beginning with God creating the Earth and designating humanity to watch over it. God shows over and over that He has confidence in us. He called on Noah to build an ark. He had Moses lead his people out of Egypt. Esther kept her people from being slaughtered. Jesus asked his disciples to spread the gospel. The same theme is demonstrated over and over – God has confidence in each and every one of us to do what He calls us to do. He created each of us for a reason. So why, then, do we not have confidence in ourselves. When we put God first, when we focus on His path for us, He will make anything possible. That should make us all self-confident.

Hebrews 10:35-36 – “Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.”

Characteristics Of Low Self

The attitudes that dwell within the mind frequently are reflected in the conduct of a person. An inspired writer affirmed that, as one thinks within himself, so is he . Jesus himself taught that the state of ones mind is the fountain of his activity. For from within, out of the heart of men, evil thoughts proceed .

If an individual harbors an unhealthy view of himself, such can be manifested in a variety of distressing ways.

Encourage Them In Their God

God gifts people with talents and abilities. Some are artists, some are musicians, some are athletes. Some are highly intelligent, some are technically gifted, some are extremely compassionate. We must teach our kids to recognize their abilities as God-given, not a source of sinful pride. Our kids need to know they have been carefully chosen as stewards, and that they must be faithful to manage that sacred trust.

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The Despair Of Secularism

Before we discuss the remedy for poor self-esteem, as set forth in the Sacred Writings, we must observe that the world of philosophy and/or secular psychology has utterly nothing to offer the person of low esteem. The ideology of unbelief cannot generate any true and lasting sense of personal dignity.

The believer may survey the wonders of Gods creation and gasp in contemplation of the fact that all of this was made for humankind. This was Davids sentiment in the eighth Psalm.

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, The moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man that thou visiteth him? .

In contrast, skepticism offers nothing but the void of the material world.

In his powerful book, Therefore Stand, Wilbur Smith had a chapter titled The Pessimism of Our Contemporary Skeptics, in which he cited the testimony of numerous unbelievers relative to their perceptions of human existence and worth. And what a distressing array of complainers it was.

The French deist Voltaire said, for example, that except for a few sages, the whole crowd of human beings is nothing but a horrible assemblage of unfortunate criminals. He further suggested that the globe contains nothing but corpses. He concluded: I wish I had never been born . Some disposition!

David Hume , the Scottish philosopher who did more to destroy faith in miracles than any other man who has ever lived, wrote:

Does The Bible Teach Self Esteem

The subject of self esteem continues to be debated at length and breadth from all sides, the most recent contributions being “The Myth of Lisa Simpson’s Self Esteem” and “Self Esteem A Biblical Necessity”, published in Trowel and Sword earlier this year. I don’t want to go into an in-depth appraisal of the recent views put forward but rather make some comments about the use of the term self esteem.

Perhaps proponents of self esteem are motivated by compassion for those individuals who struggle with what it means to be a redeemed image bearer of God. That’s fine, but then why go on to say that such people need more self esteem? It’s one thing to have a proper understanding of ourselves as image bearers of God created to be like God in that there is some resemblance in man of God’s attributes of knowledge, wisdom, goodness, holiness restored by God through Christ in order to be conformed more closely to the kind of person God wants us to be “beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord … being transformed into the same image from glory to glory.”1

It seems those who advocate “self esteem” have, wittingly or otherwise, married the idea of man as image bearer with an old Sophist 4 teaching that says we need to be able to love ourselves before we can love our neighbour. Of course there is nothing new under the sun, this heresy has been around since the ancient Greeks.

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God Created Man In His Own Image

As a result of the fall we are all broken. Gods image has been perverted by sin. Through the first Adam the image of God was tarnished. Through the second Adam Jesus Christ believers have been redeemed. Adams disobedience resulted in brokenness. Christs perfection results in restoration. The gospel reveals your value. You are to die for! Christ bore our sins on the cross.

Though we struggle at times due to the effects of the fall. Through Christ we are being renewed daily. We were once a people plagued by that broken image, but through Christ we are being transformed to the perfect image of our Creator. For those struggling with self-esteem we must pray for the Lord to continue to conform us into His image. This takes our focus off of self and puts it on the Lord. We were made for God not the world.

The world says we need this, we need this, we need this. No! We were made for Him, we were made in His image, and we were made for His will. We have a purpose. We are fearfully and wonderfully made! Its amazing that we get to be image bearers of a glorious God! The world teaches that we need to work on ourselves and that is the problem. How can the problem be the solution?

We dont have the answers and all of these man made solutions are temporary, but the Lord is eternal! Its either you create a temporary identity for yourself or you can choose the everlasting identity for yourself that is found and secure in Christ.

Living With An Outward Focus

Ive found that in my own struggles with body image, insecurity, and feelings of inadequacy, the key hasnt been to think of myself higher or to love myself more. Instead, freedom has come as Ive filled my mind with thoughts of God and his promises. It is only when we start to see God for who he really is that we will be able to see ourselves for who we actually are. We will delight in his creation, not because we are the ones worthy of our affection, but because we know that he is a good and perfect creator.

Theres nothing wrong with combating insecurity. We should fight it, however, with the truth of Scripturetruth like that from Psalm 139:14 that says we are fearfully and wonderfully made. If our sole aim in meditating on this verse is to increase our own self-esteem, though, weve missed the point. Our delight in his wondrous creation of our bodies should align our hearts with Davids, whose song was a prayer of praise to God . Worship is the ultimate aim, not self-worth.

So I encourage youwhen you experience the crippling effects of insecurity, dont look inward, look outward. Remind yourself of your God-given identity and of his sacrifice to make the unworthy worthy. Fix your eyes on the cross, and let the weight of your sin and inadequacy turn your heart to worship of the only One truly worthy of all our love and affection.

Grace Liu

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Setbacks Bring Down Our Self

Throughout life we make expectations for ourselves. I do it all the time in my mind. I expect to accomplish this at this time. I expect this to be a certain way. I dont expect setbacks or roadblocks, but sometimes we need a reality check. We are not to trust in our expectations. We are to trust in the Lord because when our expectations prove to be unfaithful we know that the Lord is faithful. We trust our future with our Almighty Father.

Proverbs 3 tells us to not trust in our thoughts. Expectations are dangerous because once you dont meet your expectations you start to struggle in different areas. You start to struggle with your identity in Christ. You become disappointed in who you are. You start to lose the love of God. God doesnt care about me. He doesnt hear my prayers. I am not fit to do this.

Maybe you struggle with self-esteem and self-worth because you have encountered a few setbacks. Ive been there before so I know how it feels. Satan starts spreading lies. Youre worthless, God has too much to worry about, youre not one of His special people, youre not smart enough.

We have to understand. We dont need a title. We dont need to be big and be well known. God loves us! Sometimes setbacks are because the love of God is so great. He is working in broken people and He is making diamonds out of us. Dont trust in your setbacks. Allow God to work everything out. You can trust in Him. Pray for more joy in Him.

Start With A Transformation Prayer

You first need to be transformed. “No one puts new wine into old wineskins otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins. Ask God to transform you by renewing your mind so that you are no longer conformed to the pattern of this world but that you may know His will and purpose for your life. That which is good and pleasing and perfect.

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Read Psalms To Help With Self

One thing about my church that I love is that church members take turns reading different chapters in Psalms. Whatever you are struggling with whether it is self-worth, anxiety, fear, etc. take the time to read different Psalms especially Psalm 34. I love that chapter. Psalms will help you with putting your confidence back in the Lord instead of yourself. God hears you! Trust Him even when you see no changes in your situation.

25. Psalm 34:3-7 Glorify the LORD with me let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he answered me he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the LORD heard him he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

Overly Protective Of Loved Ones

Your anxiety and fear cause you to hover over your loved ones, having a desire to give them the safety and security you lack. You believe youre taking the fear onto your own shoulders, but instead youre triggering frustration and anxiety in your family members. Your good intentions restrict their freedom and leaves them little room make to their own decisions and their own mistakes.

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Accept That You Are Precious And Loved By God

• “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, He may give it to you”.
• “How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand”

Appendix: Discussion Questions For Marks Of Maturity

MEN 7/52 is a men’s ministry of bible.org. Our desire is to see all men become true followers of Jesus Christ 7 days a week/52 weeks a year.

These studies were developed in a team training environment where men were being trained for their role as church leaders, as fathers, and as effective members of a society that desperately needs to see what authentic, biblical Christianity looks like. So, exactly what does a mature Christian look like? A mature Christian is a believer whose life begins to take on the character of Christ-likeness. But what exactly is that? What are the specific qualities that mark out a person as Christ-like? This is the focus and point of this study.

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The World Has Us Comparing Ourselves To Each Other

This is hurting us. We are not to be like the world. We are to be like Christ. Everyone wants to be like someone. The person who you compare yourself to is comparing himself/herself to someone else. Its meaningless and it will make you weary. Its time to say enough is enough.

When you compare yourself to the world you allow Satan to plant seeds of doubt, insecurity, rejection, loneliness, etc. Nothing in this world will satisfy. Find satisfaction and joy in Christ which remains forever. You cant try to substitute the joy found in Christ. All other joy is only temporary.

19. Ecclesiastes 4:4 Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaninglesslike chasing the wind.

20. Philippians 4:12-13 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

21. 2 Corinthians 10:12 We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.

What Does The Bible Say About Self Worth

Often we put our self-worth in the type of clothes that we wear, the type of car that we drive, our accomplishments, our financial status, our relationship status, our talents, our appearance, etc. If you do this you will end up feeling broken and depressed.

You will feel like youre in shackles until you realize that Christ has set you free. Yes Christ has saved us from sin, but He has also saved us from the brokenness of having the worlds mindset.

Dont let sin take away your joy. Dont let the world take away your joy. The world will not take away your joy if your joy doesnt come from the world. Allow it to come from the perfect merit of Christ.

Christ is the answer to all self-worth issues that may arise in your life. You are more to God than you can ever imagine!

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Christian Counseling To Build Self

If you are having doubts about Gods love for you or if you question your worth, you may be suffering from low self-esteem. If understanding what the Bible says about your worth has piqued your interest, my next article will lay out three specific ways in which Christian counseling can improve your self-esteem. I would be honored to help you realize your worth and see yourself through the lenses of the Bible.

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DISCLAIMER: THIS ARTICLE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE

Where Can We Find True Love Acceptance And Confidence

The heart of the self-love movementpursuit of happiness and well-beingis not unfamiliar to Gods design. But it does miss the target. Instead, the Bible teaches that in presence there is fullness of joy at right hand are pleasures forevermore .

The Bible does not diminish the struggle of insecurity or depression. Rather, it offers a greater hope and confidence, one that far surpasses the promises of the self-love movement. It tells us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us . Through Jesus, we are children of God, and if children, then heirsheirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ . This is our greatest confidence: that the King of kings has adopted us as his sons and daughters, not through any work of our own, but through his great mercy and grace in Christ. He has fulfilled the law so that we may be fully accepted. This truth should instill deep confidence and obliterate all pride.

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Christian Quotes About Self

Not one drop of my self-worth depends on your acceptance of me.

If you find yourself constantly trying to prove your worth to someone, you have already forgotten your value.

Your value doesnt decrease based on someones inability to see your worth.

Make sure you dont start seeing yourself through the eyes of those who dont value you. Know your worth even if they dont.

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

There is no reason to keep tearing yourself down when God is building you up everyday.

Never let your motivation to do well be centered on proving yourself to others. Let your motivation be centered on Christ.

God wants you to be rooted in the confidence that he makes you worthy.