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Low self-esteem seems to be an issue today. But can anyone truly have high self-esteem?
If you think about it, no. My “self” is the problem because I know that I’m sinful. We confess regularly that we are “by nature sinful” and ask for God’s mercy and forgiveness. God asks us to look outside of ourselves to him in order to find our value and self-esteem. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). God points us away from ourselves to what he says about us because of what he has done for us. You are the righteousness of God! You stand before God, holy and blameless. And that’s just one passage!
Your status before God
In so many doctrines of Scripture, God loves to assure us of our status before him. In the following passages, pick out at least one important point about your God-given status and what it means for your life.
- Luke 22:19
- Ephesians 1:22
- Romans 5:1
- Ephesians 5:25
- Romans 8:15
- 1 Peter 1:18
- Galatians 3:26
The difference between status and role
Too often we confuse who we are with what we do. How many of these things would help your esteem?
- Getting a promotion at work.
- Hearing your spouse compliment your appearance.
- Winning the state championship.
- Graduating college or getting your master’s degree.
- Getting criticized unfairly.
How many boxes did you check? Most of these events would be a cause for you to celebrate. Yet how many of those things help your esteem? None of them! You remain the same person after them as you were before. They may affect your roles in life, but properly understood, none of those things change you. You remain valuable to a God who loves you and made you his dear child; your roles do not change that.
As a dearly loved child of God, you do need opportunities for meaningful service, but your number one need is to have a good relationship with God. That relationship deals with your status and ought to be the focus for proper esteem.
Fill in as many items as you can in the categories below. You may go back and refer to the previous passages.
MY STATUS (who I am before God):
MY ROLES (what I do in my life):
Remember that the items in the “status” category cannot change, but the items in the “roles” category can change in an instant. That is why we do not want our esteem wrapped up in a career, a house, the kids, or a spouse. Instead, focus on the objective truths of God’s Word. Those truths cannot change. Rejoice in your status!
Author: David Scharf
Volume 109, Number 10
Issue: October 2022
- Psalm 103: When you count your blessings
- Psalm 91: When God lifts you up on his lap
- Psalm 4: When you draw nearer to the end
- Psalm 42: When you ask, “Where is God when I’m hurting?”
- Psalm 32: When you need forgiveness
- Psalm 130: When rocks fall
- Bible study: Freedom in service
- What does this mean for me? Article 6
- Bible study: Spiritual gifts
- What does this mean for me? Article 5
- What does this mean for me? Article 4
- Bible study: Rejoice in your status!
- Bible study: Baptismal blessings
- What does this mean for me? Article 3
- What does this mean for me? Article 2
- Bible study: Gifts of tongues and miraculous healing
- What does this mean for me? Article 1
- Bible study: Jesus is everyone’s Savior
- Bible study: Love one another
- Bible study: Above all things!
- Bible study: The comfort of God’s providence
- The book of James: Waiting for Christ’s return
- Bible study: Precious grace
- The book of James: Active in using prayer
- Bible study: Rewards of grace
- The book of James: Active in showing love
- The book of James: Correctly evaluating riches
- Bible study: What’s going to happen on the Last Day?
- The book of James: Avoiding loveless judging
- Bible study: Interpretation practice
- The book of James: Taming the tongue
- Bible study: The Bible’s attributes
- Bible study: The importance of the family altar
- Bible study: God’s attitude is grace
- Bible study: The Bible’s account of Easter morning
- Bible study: Different types of sin
- Bible study: God’s inspiration
- Bible study: Giving God glory
- Bible study: Judge for yourself
- The book of James: Using the Word of Truth
- Bible study: The need for the Bible and worship
- Bible study: Citizens of two kingdoms
- The book of James: Active in good works
- The book of James: When battling temptation
- Bible study: God cares
- Bible study: God made the world
- The book of James: When facing trials
- Bible study: A loving God saved people from hell
- The book of James: A blueprint for living out our life of faith
- A Bible story just for me: Guilt
- Bible study: God provides victory over death!
- A Bible story just for me: Anxiety
- Bible study: God forgives and refuses to remember our sins
- A Bible story just for me: Grief
- Bible study: God helps those who cannot help themselves
- A Bible story just for me: Depression
- Bible study: God has not grown soft on sin
- Bible study: Only one path leads to God’s presence
- A Bible story just for me: Trauma
- A Bible story just for me
- Bible study: God wants me in heaven
- Bible study: The incarnation of our Lord