The esteem of God
Author
Faustino de Jesús Zamora Vargas
Summary: As Christians, we must base our self-worth on our identity in Christ, not on humanistic ideas of self-esteem. Our self-image should be rooted in the fact that we are made in God's image and likeness, and that we are beloved, accepted, redeemed, blessed, chosen, adopted, and forgiven children of God. Humanistic self-esteem focuses on what we think of ourselves, while Christian identity focuses on what God thinks of us. Self-esteem promotes pride and self-sufficiency, while identity in Christ leads us to put our ego aside and live for Christ. Self-esteem tries to deify man and promote that God is not needed, while identity in Christ reaffirms us as children of God. We must know who we are in Christ to walk with Him and avoid the identity crisis that many churches are experiencing.
Today there is talk, even in Christian circles, of a concept about which a lot has been written, especially in the area of secular psychology: self-esteem. In the era of relativism par excellence, where each one tries to insert himself into humanistic sociocultural philosophies and tendencies (humanism deifies man and discards the word of God), Christians must assume firm positions in our convictions based on the Bible, our rule of faith and practice.
Each one makes an image of himself, it can be a good image or a bad image. Many times people act and value life from the image they have created of themselves. If your self-image is good, chances are you will harbor feelings of pride, complacency, and satisfaction. Then one projects into life with the security of being oneself, without feeling ashamed of their own image, without apparent fear. When your self-image is negative, the opposite happens. People then hide from the world, they do not face it, they feel frustrated, dissatisfied. It is as if one is incompatible with the world, and therefore does not express what really operates in his soul (thoughts, feelings and desires). The image and likeness to God does not have to do with appearances, but with the soul. Your soul resembles God's.
The Lord of hosts has another opinion for esteem. If He made us after His image and likeness, then I am no small thing. I can't be better. The key is to know my true identity in Christ. As a Christian we have only one identity, children of God, and the children of the King of the Universe are not second-rate citizens, neither here nor in heaven. The Christian must learn to value himself according to the word of God. What God says about me is more important than what the world says about me. The world will always judge me and pigeonhole me in a humanistic pattern (I am useless, nobody loves me as I am, I am a failure, my life is worth nothing, I am not loved enough), but when I think that Jesus died for me , my concepts must change. I must be worth a lot to my God for He to send His only son to die on a cross for me. According to God I am his beloved, accepted, redeemed, blessed, chosen, adopted and forgiven child (Ephesians 1.3-8).
Humanistic self-esteem focuses on what I think of me, Christian identity on what God thinks of me. Self-esteem advocates the value that I give myself, identity for the value that God gives me. Self-esteem affirms the “ego” - pride and self-sufficiency -, Christian identity leads me to put my “I” to death so that Christ may live in me. The world shouts at you: raise your self-esteem! God tells you: -Put your esteem below others! Look at others as superior to you. Self-esteem allows you to be tolerant, forgiving, complacent and puts makeup on sin, identity in Christ leads you to be radical with sin. Self-esteem does everything possible so that you do not feel guilty about sin, the Christian identity recognizes guilt and gives us the possibility to confess sin and repent. Self-esteem does not humble itself, while identity in Christ prompts us to humility. Self-esteem leads to permanent cycles of depression-anxiety, identity in Christ induces an attitude of gratitude. Finally, humanistic self-esteem pretends to be like God because it tries to deify man by promoting that God is not needed in your life. Identity, on the contrary, reaffirms us as children of God.
We cannot walk with Christ if we do not know who we are. We cannot be participants in the identity crisis that most churches are experiencing. The teaching of biblical doctrines is of very little use, if before we have not been instructed in what we are in Christ and how God sees us by the identity that He did not grant with the death of Christ. That would solve many problems for depressed, anxious, indulgent, fluctuating, passive, proud, lukewarm, self-reliant and deified Christians - the latter are the ones who judge and contend when they are judged, the ones who set norms and demand obedience for compliance, the ones who try Selfishly controlling and manipulating others, those who seek praise and acceptance from others -.
You have the highest esteem (appreciation, acceptance, value) that can be had, bestowed from heaven and supplied by the blood of your Redeemer. So go for it and be brave! (Dt. 31.23).
God bless you!