Building Biblical Self-Esteem
Page Four
We Are Worthy
Long before we ever experienced the impact of our parents or others, or knew what it was like to fail and not like ourselves, God built into our genes a wonderful pattern for growth, fulfillment and development. This God-given potential is the ultimate basis for self-esteem. With these carefully chosen words, David, the Psalmist, expresses God's ultimate foundation for our sense of value, significance, and worth:
For You have formed my inward parts; You have covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! (Psalm 139:13-18).
The unknowing infant in the crib is a product of God's handiwork. Although marred by sin, the design passed down through his genetic structure is straight from the hand of God. Made in God's image, according to His design, the infant has a wonderful, complex potential for physical, intellectual, spiritual and social development. And we are of immense value and worth to God. We are so valuable to God that He sent His only Son to suffer and die and pay the penalty for our sins.
Not only are we of great worth to God; we are completely forgiven for all our sins and failures.
"If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9).
Realizing and accepting the fact that we have God's complete forgiveness helps us feel incredibly new and clean. Forgiveness gives a terrific boost to our sense of worth and self-esteem.
We Are Loved
The next ingredient in our self-concept is the feeling of being loved. Probably the best-known verse in the New Testament is John 3:16, which reads, "For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." Here, in a nutshell, is the best foundation for a lasting attitude of self-love. Even before we were born, God chose us to be His children. The apostle Paul writes, "For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will" (Ephesians 1:4-5).
 Just as the fact that God created us can
provide us with a deep, abiding sense of
worth, the fact that God loves and chose us
can provide a lasting source of assurance.
Just as the fact that God created us can provide us with a deep, abiding sense of worth, the fact that God loves and chose us can provide a lasting source of assurance. What a strong foundation for self-acceptance we have, since God has chosen us to be His sons and daughters! This acceptance doesn't come and go according to our performance. It is a love that is completely unconditional. As David puts it:
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand will hold me. If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me," even the night shall be light about me; Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day. The darkness and the light are both alike to You (Psalm 139:7-12).
Yes, God's love is unconditional. No matter where we go or how we are doing, God's love for us remains consistent. He is always present with us.
We Are Gifted
Next to the knowledge that God created us and loves us stands another pillar of our self-esteem-the awareness of our abilities and potentials. This pillar speaks directly to our need for confidence. It is the knowledge that God gives unique talents to each of us. No two people are exactly alike. Yet every person who has ever walked the face of this earth has been given gifts by God. Paul puts it this way:
Now God gives us many kinds of special abilities, but it is the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service to God, but it is the same Lord we are serving. There are many ways in which God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the work in and through all of us who are his. The Holy Spirit displays God's power through each of us as a means of helping the entire church (I Corinthians 12:4-7 TLB).
In a unique way, each of us has a broad range of capacities, attributes and potential. While differing widely in the way our gifts fit together, we each possess a beautiful, complex arrangement of capabilities that forms the nucleus of our real self-the person God designed and intends us to be.
We Are Secure
The final ingredient, our need for a feeling of security, is closely tied to a feeling of confidence and being loved. Here again, The Bible lays out a rich and trustworthy provision. It tells us God will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), and that even little children have angels watching over them (Matthew 18:10).
In the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany, several Arab guerillas held five Israelis hostage. For hours, the world waited anxiously for word about the captives. Finally it came: "They have all been murdered."
I will never forget the shock on the faces of the television newsmen. They sat in silent disbelief. Finally, after a long pause, one of them said, "There's nothing we can say at a time like this." Then he went on to indicate that we could only "hope and pray" that things would get better.
This biblical insight helped us to put the whole
event into proper perspective and provided
needed security during those troubled days.
My son and I were watching that telecast together. We were both deeply touched at the tragic loss of life and the seemingly senseless conflict. But then, we discussed the situation. I shared with Richard the origin of the Arab and Israeli nations and explained that Ishmael, the son of Abraham by his wife's maid, Hagar, was the father of the Arab people. Then we discussed the spread of the Israelites throughout the world and their eventual return to the Promised Land. I showed Richard from the Bible that the current Arab-Israeli conflict is part of a centuries-long problem that will eventually culminate in the return of Christ to earth. I told him that these conflicts weren't going to cease;they would probably get worse. But in the end, God's plan would triumph. This biblical insight helped us to put the whole event into proper perspective and provided needed security during those troubled days.
 Continued on Page Five
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