Why go to the trouble of assessing your self-esteem? It can be an intense process, and you may find yourself questioning if it’s worth it. The answer is yes, because self-esteem is such an important aspect of your being. It affects your thoughts, your actions, and your decisions. It plays a role in how you treat others and how you talk about yourself. Your image of yourself will cause you to fail or succeed—which is why it's such an easy foothold for the devil. A negative self-image denies you your God-given value and worth. If you have low self-esteem, you will settle for things that aren’t God’s best for you. A negative self-image will also cause you to be preoccupied with self instead of the things of God. This post will help you develop a healthy self-image by helping you see a bigger picture of who you are.

"Enemy to Peace: Low Self-Esteem" by Dr. Mike Moore

Why is self-image important? Our self-image affects the quality of the decisions we make, and we will never rise above our self-image because it causes us to fail or succeed. Our self-image affects every aspect of our lives and behavior. It affects our ability to learn, grow and change. It even has an impact on how we choose our friends, mate and career.

We form our self-image in a series of ways; through the eyes of others, our own personal observations, Satan and God. Remember, Satan is a liar; nothing he says can be trusted, and only God’s Word is the truth. God’s image of us is true, and it does not change.  

Low self-esteem is an enemy because it is a negative image, self-portrait or self-evaluation of yourself, and it denies your God-given value and worth.  Some causes of low self-esteem include negative parenting styles... either being over protective, a perfectionist, uninvolved or authoritarian. Satan likes low self-esteem because it destroys potential, visions, goals and dreams. People with low self-esteem will settle for less than God’s best. Low self-esteem causes us to neglect the God-factor because we are focusing on us and not God. 

Healthy self-esteem is Christ-centered. How do you eradicate low self-esteem? How do you become healthy? You can start by looking at God’s Word. Accurate biblical self-esteem is built on knowing who you are, whose you are, who is with you, and what you are worth to God. We are the sons and daughters of God; this is our new place. Satan no longer has a legal right to our lives. We are the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).  Righteousness is being in right standing with God, and that gives us rights, privileges and responsibilities of being a family member. God’s righteousness has nothing to do with our works. God made us righteous. We are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 6:19). Whose are we, and who is with us? As believers, we belong to God, and He is always with us. What are we worth to God? God gave His son for us, and we were bought with Jesus’ blood. So, God could not have given us a greater gift than His son.

How do you know if you have healthy Christ-centered self-esteem? Do you have confidence in God’s faithfulness and commitment to your success? Are you confident in your own God-given talents, abilities and gifts? Do you confront challenges or adversity and don’t run from them? Are you a winner in life? Do you inspire, encourage and motivate others to win? If you answered yes to these questions, you are on track; but if you need improvement in this area, don’t be discouraged. Now, you can focus on this area by reading books, listening to messages, and reading what God’s Word says about you. Remember, the Word of God is your answer!!

Read
Philippians 3:13-14

Pray
Father, I want to develop a healthy self-image and strong self-esteem. Show me the steps I must take to learn to love myself as You love me.

Reflect
Am I living with an unhealthy self-image and denying my God-given value?

Respond
Begin this journey by seeking God. Start journaling your negative responses to yourself and countering them with what God says about you.

Knowing your worth in the eyes of your Heavenly Father will set you on a path to be occupied with the things of God instead of yourself. This is why it’s important for you to deal with self-esteem issues—so you stop settling for the things that aren’t God’s best for you. As a Christian dealing with low self-esteem, you will need to learn how to view yourself through God’s lens instead of allowing the world to define you.