Self-esteem vs. God's esteem

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him (Jeremiah 17:7).

One thing guidance counselors look for in children is good self-esteem. Confidence is needed to set goals and achieve them. People with poor self-esteem rarely achieve their full potential.

But healthy self-esteem is a hard thing to achieve. Some people think so highly of themselves that they become proud, while others think so little of themselves that they hide away from everyone else.

Too much self-esteem is dangerous. When confidence becomes arrogance, you stop listening to advice; after all, you know all the answers. Proud folks can be insufferable big mouths or tiresome know-it-alls; they can also be dangerous risk takers who won’t accept help no matter how badly it is needed.

Too little self-esteem can also be dangerous. When confidence hits rock bottom, you stop trying to make friends; after all, why would anyone want to spend time with a loser like you? You are likely to settle for dead-end jobs and dead-end relationships, because you don’t believe you’re capable of anything better. You might even think about suicide.

Healthy self-esteem starts with God. You know that you’re valuable, because God made you personally, a unique and special person unlike anyone else anywhere in the world. You also know that you are deeply flawed because of sin; you don’t love God or your fellow human beings the way that you should. You are wasteful with time and money; you break promises and say hurtful things. But you also know this: God loves you so much that He sent His Son to die for you, so that you could be forgiven and restored to God’s family. And you know that with the help of God’s Spirit, you can do things in life that honor God and show love for the people around you.

That’s healthy self-esteem—it is held in tension between your need for God’s help and His amazing love for you. Because Jesus loves and forgives you, you never give in to despair. Because God’s Spirit helps you with life’s problems, you are hesitant to brag about your achievements. Healthy self-esteem is just one benefit of being a Christian.