How's your self-esteem

You cannot love others until you have learned to love yourself.

Low self-esteem destroys our dreams and any hope of realizing God's great plan for our life. Expecting great things from God and attempting great things for Him can be destroyed by low self-esteem.

One of the most common ways of dealing with feelings of low self-esteem is withdrawing from our relationships with others. If low self-esteem results in isolation from others, how can the body of Christ function in a healthy manner? If the members of Christ's body are not functioning as members of the body, then Christ's ministry is hindered. Nothing sabotages christian service more than thinking so little of yourself that God isn't given a chance.

How you see yourself and how you feel about yourself will affect just about every aspect of your life. You will think, speak, act and react as the person you think you are. You will never rise above the image you have of yourself in your mind.

A healthy self-esteem isn't grounded in one's strengths and abilities. Self-esteem must come from knowing who Jesus is and from the assurance of His love and care.
Low self-esteem results in a loss of potential, wasted gifts and broken dreams.

There are four things that help us construct our self-image;
1. The social world - this includes how you were trained, treated, loved, cared for and in your upbringing.
2. The psychological world - this involves the mental and emotional equipment we need to cope with life.
3. Satan will use inferiority, inadequacy and self-belittling to defeat christians and prevent them from realizing their potential as God's children.
4. God and His word is the key to straightening out our false beliefs about ourselves.

Some of the basic problems that come from low self-esteem are:

Insecurity - A sense of worthlessness fosters insecurity and hopelessness.
Jealousy - Doubting our own worth, we're jealous of those who appear better off than us.
Anger - Comparing ourselves with others, we can become angry and resentful.
Fear - We have hidden fears that others may discover how we really feel about our true selves.
Selfishness - A lack of self-esteem produces total absorption in meeting our own needs.
Guilt - By focusing on failure rather than forgiveness, we are defeated and feel guilty.

Some suggestions for developing a healthy self-esteem are:
Be quick to repent and maintain a good attitude - cultivate the mind of Christ
Eliminate negative thought patterns about yourself; don't condemn yourself.
Honestly admit your shortcomings without blaming yourself for everything
Centre your thoughts on Christ and think about others rather than yourself
Thank God for the way He has gifted you, and
Don't despise your weaknessess; they keep you dependant on God

Michelle Cozins