Low Self-Esteem

[>> Hannah <<]

Anyone suffer from or has suffered from low self esteem?

interested in some practical ways of fighting it and also what god has to say about it?

i dont want to be told its wrong because i already know that.

i just see no good in myself, how can i be a good witness to god if i hate myself and feel i cant do anything of worth.

this will probably turn out to be a rubbish post and people will be like, just get over yourself which is fair enough, but trust me this is a serious problem i have, its the only feeling i can always remember being there.

who put it there? or have i caused it myself?

Edited March 20, 2006 by >> Hannah <<

[aaronjm]

I deffinately suffer from this, a lot had to do with my childhood insecurities that turned in to adult insecurities. It comes down to getting those ugly thoughts out of your head, they are not from God, so just ignore them. The thing that helps me the most is knowing that something so huge, and powerful thinks so much of me, has numbered the hairs on my head. You should feel the same way, just remember that all that matters in this world is how you look to Him, everything else shouldn't matter. Walk with your head held high knowing that He loves you, He see's all the good in you..... I will be praying for you.

A brother in Christ

Aaron

[dakota190]

hannah, instead of wasting your time considering what the world of psychotic psychobabblers say as to why you feel this way etc; think instead of this. God, the creator of the universe and all things we know in our finite minds can fathom, created you to walk in the garden of eden with him. that i think is pretty special. the devil on the other hand, remember him? he is the Loser in all of this, he wants us to think we are losers also. however, i know how the book ends. the devil is still the LOSER!!!!

GOD DOESN'T MAKE ANY JUNK, and we can't lose unless we give up. God loves us so much he gave his son and he sacrificed his prophets and he wrote us a love letter to tell us how to spend eternity with him, because he loves us enough to have created us specifically for himself. not a bird in a cage or for us to entertain him, but so he could spend time with us. i think that is pretty special. DON'T YOU?

God bless and keep you.

[Guest emoemo333]

Hi Hannah,

The first thing to do is take this to our Lord in prayer. Be prepared to do this more then once. He is kind and will give us the knowledge we need as we are ready for it. Your feelings are real. The key is to find out what is causing them and I think the Lord is the absolute best place for this. I remember a preacher once saying that we did not need any books for counseling as the Lord gave us the Bible. His Word will give us the answers if we will seek.

For some practical steps, when you start having these feelings, try to step back and look at the situation. Do this in prayer. See if you can identify any elements that can contribute to this. This could be a clue as to the cause. Be aware and when this feelings try to over power you, think of the Lord. Think of Scripture or thihk of the beauty the Lord has created. It may seem simplistic but it does work.

As for being a witness. Our Lord can use this to teach you and use you to witness to others who are going through the same thing. Focus on your relationship with the Lord. He will show you how to be a witness for you. He created you and He will not forsake you.

In Him,

Eve

[InternalFlame]

I used to have really big self esteem issues, and for the most part have now gotten over them. Mostly the reasons for my being so was because I was overweight, unpopular, and therefor had a pretty negative attitude that didn't help towards my self-esteem. I was pretty much rejected all through elementary school for no good reason, I was THE outcast. As you can imagine, this did create a lot of issues.

My low self esteem eventually got between God and I and I drifted away from Him. Interestingly enough, when I came back to Him is when I started feeling more sure of myself (though it did help that I lost 40 pounds from swimming).

The reason that happened the way is did is because God started to show me how to use my natural talents to glorify Him. No matter how badly you think of yourself, or what other people think, God has gifted us all with something. It could be something as small as being a good listener. Pray to God, and really listen to what He is trying to tell you. I KNOW you have some talents, really search within yourself. Something that you love to do, or always had no problem accomplishing...maybe even something you never thought about before.

[ElijahSK]

Anyone suffer from or has suffered from low self esteem? interested in some practical ways of fighting it and also what god has to say about it? i dont want to be told its wrong because i already know that. i just see no good in myself, how can i be a good witness to god if i hate myself and feel i cant do anything of worth. this will probably turn out to be a rubbish post and people will be like, just get over yourself which is fair enough, but trust me this is a serious problem i have, its the only feeling i can always remember being there. who put it there? or have i caused it myself?

Hannah, last month I found myself in this state. I was to the point where I was ready to go to a therapist, seriously. I felt so depressed that I wouldn't accomplish anything. If I tried to read, I had no interest. If I tried to memorize, it was impossible. In fact, the only thing I could do was sit infront of a tv. I had no conversation. I had no answers.

Just to show you how I have changed in the past month, to give a little bit of weight to what will follow. Last week, I memorized Hebrews 11, James 1, 1 Corinthians 13, and about half of Romans 6. My whole soul has been uplifted. I find a new drive, and a new ability to accomplish. When I things come against me, I overcome them, and every battle seems so short.

I like you, could find no good in myself back then. So I simpathize with your state. It is a very serioous condition, but one if you're willing to believe me, you can be out of very soon. To answer your two last questions, I would say God gave you these feelings because of yourself. This was the case with me. I found that everything I tried to accomplish would backfire on me. And whatever I tried to do good, I couldn't get it done. Whatever I told myself I wouldn't do, that was the very thing I ended up doing.

I have only found this one way to success. Everything I have ever tried either didn't work or lead me deeper. That being said I won't withhold it from you any longer.

First to lay some groundwork. What is faith, truly? It's not some power or moving force. It's what we believe, and who's word hold more weight with us. Adam and Eve fell from faith in God when they gave more weight to what the serpent said. But originally we were designed to abide with God in faith. Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abrham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Elijah, Gideon, all these received a good report by believing God, nothing more. There works showed there beliefs, but there works didn't get them the good report, their beliefs did. God knew they believed Him so when He let them be tried they proved they believed Him.

So now, what can help you? You said you find no good in yourself so this is what I would say will deliver you from all of that. If you want to be free from all of this, then don't believe it so ever again. He who the Son has made free is free indeed. If you are saved, then you are free. When you were saved, God took your old man (this part of you telling you amount to nothing) and crucified it on the cross. Now that that part of you is dead, you are free. If you are dead, then you will also live with Christ. Take no thought for what this world tells you, this world is not your home. Set your mind of things above, your escape is that you will be with God. God doesn't care how you were. He put that to death so that you could be alive to Him.

Now you may be thinking that what I am saying is very hard, and that you have never experienced something like that. Remember what we said about faith? They didn't experience their promises immediately, but they believed God in whatever He said. These all died in faith, having not received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. (Heb 11:13) This is what you should do. God has promised you would be free from this stuff. Now even though you haven't experienced it, believe it. And from this point on your are a new person. I'd encourage you to read Romans 6 and 8, and believe it as it is written. Don't think about how it hasn't happened like that, or try to rationalize it. Just believe it is true. This is true faith. Once you believe it, next trial you have, you let it know what you believe now.

This world may get you down. The way to overcome that is to take no thought of the world. God is love. He loves all of His children without measure. And 1 Cor 13 says love thinks no evil. So remember even though you may feel his way or that, God never changes. And for those ashes you bring Him, He'll give you beauty.

Let me know if I can further explain myself in any way. I'm always here for my loved ones, and that is all those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, my brethren.

Edited March 22, 2006 by ElijahSK

[jenni211]

Hannah,

I too have suffered from self-esteem issues my entire life. How do you deal with it? You have to take authority over the thoughts that go against what God says about you. God loves you, He cares for you and wants only the best for you. Someone once told me something that made a huge difference for me... If I had been the only person on earth that had ever sinned or was ever going to sin, God would have still sent Jesus to die for ME!

Find some scriptures to meditate on (Jeremiah 29:11 is a good place to start!)

Also get someone that you love and respect to write a list of good things that they see in your life. Then when you are having a rough day you can go over the good things that others think about you. It does help to know that someone else thinks that you are great.

I think that you are great and so does God!

Be blessed, I am praying for you

Jennifer

[Dad Ernie]

Greetings,

I just heard a very good sermon on this subject, and I believe the Pastor I heard on the radio was right on. Where in the Bible does it say we should have a "high" self-esteem? This is psychobabble from the secular world. Yes, we may suffer "depression", but that is a different story. I am not a shrink, but I am old enough to know that when you rightly put yourself in perspective with others, that you never have to worry about those awful words - "self esteem". Consider:

Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Job 25:6 How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?

Psalms 22:6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

I can't find it, but I believe there is a verse that says: "Esteem others higher than yourself." I just can't find it.

When we start appreciating what God has done for us already, for which we are unentitled, when we humble ourselves before others and take the back seat, then we won't have to worry about our own esteem. We love ourselves enough already, too much so at times that we think we are better somehow than someone else.

Self-Esteem is NOT encouraged in the Bible, but we are to examine yourself soberly with the good judgment of the Word.

Blessings,

Dad Ernie

[sheya joie]

I think Dad Ernie was looking for this:

Phi 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

and I also found this:

Rom 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

But I was also thinking of the reply earlier about thoughts. Not all the thoughts that hit your head are your own thoughts; many of them are attacks from the Enemy. You can take those thoughts captive:

2Cor 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and

bringing into captivity every thought

to the obedience of Christ;

6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

I kinda picture it like lassoing those varmints and hogtying 'em and handing 'em over to the LORD. (Yes, I live in Texas.)

I hope that's a help. I tend to have the opposite problem, the 'princess' mentality.

[Lasere]

I suffered from this a lot in my teens due to not having the love of my mother yet she adored my siblings. Of course I thought I must be bad and have things wrong with me. I had a 180 degree turn when I read the scriptures about how much Jesus loves me.

Pray that God will give you a revelation of how precious you are to him. The presence of the Lord and his Love. How He died for us, this is an astounding Love that is hard to comprehend but when we pray and spend time in his presence, he shows us how special we are to him. This way any opinions from man that may have affected our opinions of ourself in the past have less of an affect on us as we see ourselves in Gods eyes. I had a list of scriptures of how God sees his children, I must find them.

Edited March 21, 2006 by Lasere