Is it important for a Christian to have high self-esteem?

[everseeking]

hopefully this is a good question

[everseeking]

I imagine some people who have very high self-esteem, think they don't need God. We need to be humble towards God and sensitive to other people who are all precious to God.

Edited May 21, 2016 by everseeking

[Willa]

I think you are correct.  Believers develop a new self concept when we are born again.   We know we are sinners saved by grace.  We learn to see ourselves as God sees us.  We are His creation, loved but corrupted by sin and victims of the evil one.  Sin was once our master.  But we now have a new Master when we give ourselves to God.  We are so valuable in His eyes that He gave His Son to redeem us with His own blood, to purchase us back from the dominion of satan.  God has declared us righteous by the faith He has given us in the resurrection of His Christ.  

So our old man, our old self is corrupted and must die in order to allow our new self with the Holy Spirit to live.  We kill off our old self daily with its vanity, pride and warped self esteem.  We have a new set of values as to what is good and evil.  Now we don't see ourselves as the world sees us but as God sees us.  As such we soon become hated by the world for rejecting its value system. 

[Guest shiloh357]

16 hours ago, everseeking said:

hopefully this is a good question

Self-esteem is really just self-love.  The Bible does not command us to love ourselves.

[kwikphilly]

Blessings everseeking

    I do think it is a good question & I also think there is a HUGE difference between a person having good self-esteem  & high self esteem,,,,,,,as Willa has noted

Quote

We kill off our old self daily with its vanity, pride and warped self esteem.                                                            posted by Willa

The "warped self esteem" can be both "too much" or "too little" and neither is present in the New Creature that walks in Spirit & in Truth,,,,,,,,we should rejoice & be filled with Joy & Gratitude because of who we ARE in Christ & because of what we are by His Finished Work on the Cross,,,,,,,,in the Eyes of God we are Worthy & Good(blameless,spotless,without stain,blemish, spot or wrinkle) not by our doing but because of God Grace,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

A Christian that thinks highly of himself is not forsaking "self" which is prideful,the person who thinks little of himself is also not forsaking "self" & he too,is prideful because he has not fully submitted to Christ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,there is a good & healthy "self -esteem" that has balance,,,,,,,I know who I am in Christ because I ESTEEM "Jesus" WHO abides in me,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Quote

The Way, the Truth, and the Life
…10Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I say to you, I do not speak on My own. Instead, it is the Father dwelling in Me, carrying out His work. 11Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me — or at least believe because of the works themselves. 12Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I am doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.…                                  John 14:10-12

                                                                               With love-in Christ,Kwik

[hmbld]

Self-esteem, as we use the term, really is about loving ourselves, isn't it?  I am important, I am good, etc.  All the fun little sayings that are pushed, you have to love yourself first, you have to seek your own happiness, live for today, I deserve to be loved, I deserve happiness, etc.  All miss the mark, but seem to be popular.

As Kwik said, "I know who I am in Christ because I ESTEEM "Jesus" WHO abides in me,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,".  

I am important to God, He made me, Jesus died to save me.  My self worth, or self-esteem has in the past, been based on myself.  What I can do.  Looking towards self.  All that is temporary.  Looking to Jesus, He never changes.  That is solid rock, who does Jesus say I am?  Who gets the glory when all is based on Jesus?  Not self!

[Willa]

Much of "Who I AM in Christ" is in Ephesians 1.  It tell most of what God has made us to be IN CHRIST, and all to the praise of His Glory.  It just fills our hearts with thanksgiving.  I second what Kwik said.

[kwikphilly]

Amen hmbled(great user name-Glory to God!)

    Exactly,,,,,,,,,,,,,,all about self gratification "I","me","my",,,,,,,,,,,,,,yep,ALL GLORY TO GOD,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I appreciate when anything I do is good or what I say is good because it all comes from Jesus,,,,,,,,,,,,,,humbled,grateful,in awe,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Praise Jesus,that is why I am happy about myself & filled with Joy because He is the BEST of ME!!!!!    Jesus Jesus Jesus,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,whew,Glory Halleluyah!!!                                       Love,kwik

[missmuffet]

Our self esteem should not depend on what we do,but who we are in Christ. We need to humble ourselves before Christ. Low self esteem is the opposite of pride which the Bible tells us is very bad. There is a nice inbetween there somewhere.

[Ezra]

18 hours ago, everseeking said:

hopefully this is a good question

It is a very good question.  But things need to be clearly defined.  As commonly understood "self-esteem" relates to "self-worth" and may not necessarily translate into "self-importance" or "self-love" or "self-aggrandizement". 

The apostle Paul says that we ought not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to, but to THINK SOBERLY (Romans 12:3).  So our self-concept (as Christians) should correspond to God's concept of us, not what we falsely think of ourselves, or what the world may think of us.

There are many who have what is called "low self-esteem", which means a low opinion or regard for oneself.  This is generally because too many (especially young people) are looking for approval and acceptance by their peers.  But Christians should not be plagued with this.  What should count is how God and Christ view us.

We need to clearly understand that if we have been saved by grace then we are (1) children of God, (2) heirs of God, (3) joint-heirs with Christ, (4) elect according to the foreknowledge of God, (5) king-priests, (6) privileged to have God dwelling within us. In essence we are "accepted in the Beloved".

At the same time, we have earned none of this, and we do not deserve any of it.  But God has reserved a mansion for each one of us in the New Jerusalem, along with an eternal inheritance that can never fade away.  In view of all this, a Christian cannot have low self-esteem, and neither should he or she think they are anything more than servants of God and Christ, thus servants of others (in a positive sense).