Self Esteem

[Dreamer]

Take Your Self-Estimate from God

Develop the picture of your worth and value from God, not from the false reflections that come out of your past. The healing of low self-esteem really hinge on a choice you must make: Will you listen to satan as he employs all the lies, the distortions, the put-downs, and the hurts of your past to keep you bound by unhealthy, unchristian feelings and concepts about yourself? Or will you receive your self-esteem from God and His Word?

Here are some very important questions to ask yourself:

What right have you to belittle or despise someone whom God loves so deeply? When you despise His creation, you are really saying that you don't like the design or care much for the Designer. You are calling unclean what God calls clean. You are failing to realize how much God loves you and how much you mean to Him.

What right have you to belittle or despise someone whom God has honored so highly? "Consider the incredible love that the Father has shown us in allowing us to be called 'children of God' " 1 John 3:1 And that's not just what we're called. It's what we are. Do you think that when you consider God's son or daughter worthless or inferior, He is pleased by your so-called humility?

How much does God value you? "while we were yet sinners that Christ died for us...We may hold our heads high in the light of God's love" (Rom. 5:7-8, 11 , PH) God has provided for you fully:"How much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things?" Matt. 7:11 "God shall supply all your need" Phil. 4:19 This doesn't sound as if He wants you to be self-loathing or to feel inadequate.

From where will you get your idea of yourself? From distortions of your childhood? From past hurts and false ideas that have been programmed into you? Or will you say, "No, I will not listen to those lies from the past any longer. I will not listen to satan, the liar, the confuser, the blinder, who twists and distorts. I am going to listen to God's opinion of me, and let Him reprogram me until His loving estimate of me becomes a part of my life, right down to my innermost feelings.

Jesus says, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." Well, if some people loved their neighbors like they love theirselves, they would be very mean to their neighbors. Jesus wants us to care about ourselves in a balanced way, so that we have love to give to others. Look at this scripture about husbands loving their wives: "Husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it." Eph. 5:28, 29 The love a man gives his wife is the extending of his love for himself to enfold her. The divine example is given in the next verse: "And that is what Christ does for His body, the church." and then Paul stated it again, "Let every one of you who is a husband love his wife as he loves himself, and let the wife reverence her husband." So, self-belittling can hurt marriages, too.

(paraphrased from the book, Healing for Damaged Emotions, by David A. Seamands)

 

[mounty]

well said hunny
Praise our King ,God Bless xxxxxxxxxxx

 

[Eve]

Dreamer,

This is so true. My lack of love for myself often gets in the way of my ability to love others ie my neighbour.

May the Lord give us strength to overcome.

God Bless

Eve

 

[Dreamer]

Your Good Posts Ran Away

Mounty and Eve, I'm so sorry. I moved this thread to the counseling area, and I did something wrong....your posts went off into the unknown land!

I'm so sorry. I'm still learning. :embarasse

I plan to put more excerpts from this book about damaged emotions, but I will put them here in the counseling forum. There will also be some great verses and encouragements in ways to defeat depression, anxiety, and perfectionism.

 

[Faithful Son]

No worries auntie Dreamer, I fixed it I haven't read all the posts, but I will soon.

God bless your hearts

 

[calluna]

Take Your Self-Estimate from God

Develop the picture of your worth and value from God, not from the false reflections that come out of your past. The healing of low self-esteem really hinge on a choice you must make: Will you listen to satan as he employs all the lies, the distortions, the put-downs, and the hurts of your past to keep you bound by unhealthy, unchristian feelings and concepts about yourself? Or will you receive your self-esteem from God and His Word?
(paraphrased from the book, Healing for Damaged Emotions, by David A. Seamands)

Thanks Dreamer for this post. This is pretty much my story and where I use to be, I was a mess because I listened to all the lies satan told me, from when I was a young girl, all the way growing up. And it led me to look to men for their approval, it was always a boost to my self-esteem when a man paid attention to me, which in turn led to sin and further heartache and self hatred accrued.

Oh Praise God, what a revelation when I finally learned of His love for me, While I was a sinner, He still loved me. God values me. Little ol' me. Amazing!!!

It has taken many years to re-programme my thinking, and I have fallen many a time along the way, it is an on going process, until the very end.

Romans 12:2.....but be transformed by the renewing of your mind'

I praise the Lord I am not where I use to be, I still have a way to go and sometimes I have to remind myself....but I finally can see my worth and value in Gods eyes. Its no longer self-esteem, it is God-esteem.

:shade: Calluna

 

[alicia_charne]

Here is what God has to say about YOU!!!!

Jeremiah 29:11-14 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

Song or Solomon 4:7 You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.

If you say this is not true you are going against Gods word!!

2Ti 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

 

[my4everChrist]

Praise God!!!!!

Dreamer,
God bless you and thank you! I struggled with low self-esteem for many many years and thanks be to God,He is working daily and setting me totally free! There was a time,I wouldn't even have replied to anyone's post;hallelujah,God IS good!


my4everCHRIST

 

[Dove]

Really wish I could deal with the low self esteem I have just dont think I will ever be able to conquer it. I know God loves me hes brought me so far just need to be able to move forward from here.

 

[Ncdataman]

Don't give up dear sister Dove, Remember the God you serve is bigger than anything this world can throw at you. I am still praying for you!

In Christ,

NC

 

[nan10]

thank you so much for what you have written

 

[my4everChrist]

God bless you,Nan and make you highly favored every day of your life!

 

[pd12051980]

I too, had/have low self esteem, and it is sometimes hard to see that I am a good person, in my own eyes. Satan wants us to think the very worst of ourselves, You have to remember that we are all special in Gods eyes.

God is currently working with me, through my issues and things, I have found that praying helps.

I sometimes feel as though I am not worthy, because I had clinical depression for a number of years, Although depression is a serious illness and can have devastating side effects, including Suicide. I have found that asking for Gods help, to make me realise that I am NOT a bad person, He has a plan mapped out for us all, if we choose to follow his path.

God is stronger than Satan, Satan will always try to tempt us, but if you tell Satan, in no uncertain terms to "go away", he will.

When I first came to my new church, I was unsure if I would be accepted, as at my old church, I was ostracised because of my insecurities. And even sometimes, I do feel a bit nervous, but I have assurances from people at church, that God is the first and foremost thing in their and my lives, and to pray to Him, He will make your life better, and He does, slowly but surely, everytime I do feel that bout of insecurity to come on, I pray to God, and tell the Devil to go away.

If you put in perspective that God created this world, and everything good in it, and the Devil likes things to be bad and evil, then God is the only solution.

As for self esteem, a lot of it comes with confidence, I used to think that if 1 person didnt like me, then everyone else didnt either, You aren't going to get along with everyone you meet, that's just Human nature, Thing is not to think "Oh I hope people will like me" Otherwise you will get yourself into a phobia (I know, I have done the same thing) Just be yourself, Find a church or a group of understanding christians.

Needless to say, I feel very comfortable at my new church, and even though people come from different walks of life, we all have 1 thing in common-our love for the Lord