Self Esteem Under Attack, But Getting It Back
Hello once again friend!
Hope you are enjoying the summer season and have jumped into a lake or pool, or all of the above.
This month’s blog post has been a burning topic for us for a while now, as it is unfortunately growing at a rapid pace, and can start from a very young age and can be carried into adulthood if we don’t deal with it properly. It’s actually become a pandemic where the curve has not been flattened yet. We have seen too many people fall into its paralyzing methods of keeping us locked up in our own identity shaped by the world, people and circumstance, and not by God.
It is our enemy of low self-esteem.
Yup. It’s that voice that whispers you will never be good enough.
Never pretty enough,
Never rich enough,
Never smart enough,
Never skinny enough
Never clean enough
Never successful enough
Never handsome enough
Sometimes the battle with low self-esteem can stem from our childhood. Maybe we were bullied by peers in school. Maybe our parents never believed in us. Or maybe we had to deal with a situation that was embarrassing or made us look foolish, and now we justify that behavior with our current behavior and choices. Often enough, when we are made to feel unworthy, or devalued, it fosters comparison, which than leads into competition. Our future choices in careers, how we dress, our reputation, our performance and how we interact with one another can lead us to a place of wanting to prove to others that yes, we are indeed valuable; a value system that is graded by the world and only the world, which never leads into a life lived in freedom, and comes at the cost of our integrity, relationships, and peace.
We all want to be somebody. We post how great our life is on social media to stay relevant, to stay noticed, and to stay in people’s news feeds. But what are your intentions? Are they pure? Are they honorable? Do they aim to place yourself on a pedestal? Is the focus to show others what they don’t have? We are not saying to never post anything on social media, but just be sure the REASON, the INTENTION, and the MOTIVE are not diluted with your own arguments.
Ironically, this in itself is low self-esteem. No matter how you slice it.
Be intentional, and mindful of every single move you make in this life.
Is the root of the problem fear? Basically, we are scared to be unloved.
The Bible says,
“Perfect love casts out fear, (1 John 4:18).
When we know God is love, and God is in us, and us in Him, what do we have to fear or become anxious about?
Low self-esteem also eats away at our confidence and our overall image of ourselves; both inside and out.
The world’s definition of confidence is highly dependent on our own feelings of self-assurance from one’s appreciation of their own abilities. Thus, we ourselves (and the world) become the judge of what is deemed valuable.
So what can we do if we have fallen into the trap of a battered identity?
Jesus spent His time on Earth talking about identity constantly. He reminds us that we are chosen, made complete, and confident through Him who lives inside us.
The Bible says we are made in God’s image. You’ve probably heard this about a hundred million times in your life. It’s a common phrase in Sunday school, on banners, and on bookmarks. It’s so much more than the cliché many people know it as.
A good way to understand this phrase is to look back at the original Greek usage of this word. The word ‘image’ refers to a mirror like representation; replication; close in resemblance.
Therefore, in this context we are literally a reflection of God’s character and if we are followers of Christ, and Christ lives in us, we too are a carbon copy of His image which is redeemed, unabashed, beautiful, valued, dignified, and pure, in all of the ways we conduct ourselves.
To the person reading this blog who is in a place feeling unloved, unworthy and alone, know that anything this world can offer is still not enough to give your life purpose and meaning, no matter how gleaming, gratifying and shiny it may look. Your worth and peace is found in your Maker. Sometimes it takes some time to fully come into this place but He is always waiting for you and looks forward in walking this life with you. Your life wasn’t meant to be walked alone.
Let’s retire low self- esteem and start demonstrating the true characteristics of Christ that we are called forth in. A life of liberation. A life of freedom.
And so, we leave you with this word,
“The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked,” (1 John 2:6).
