Self-Esteem and the Word of God

What do you think of when you hear the term “self-esteem”? Does it immediately conjure up images of motivational speakers or preachers of prosperity theology urging you to look in the mirror every morning and say seven affirmative things about yourself so that you can “become a better you”? Or perhaps it brings to mind the old (and misguided) cliché that “you can’t love others if you don’t love yourself first.”

If so, you’re not alone. These knee-jerk reactions represent many Christians’ views of self-esteem, and while on the one hand, they may be exaggerations, it must also be acknowledged that the concept of self-esteem has been sorely abused over the years. In many cases, it has been inflated and idolized to the point that it is essentially the sin of pride, just under a different name.

What Does the Bible Teach about Self-Esteem?

However, just because something is abusable doesn’t make it disposable. Since the Bible is our ultimate authority for truth, let us examine what it has to say about how we are to view ourselves.

Our worth as bearers of God’s image.

So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. – Genesis 1:27

In the beginning, God created the world and everything in it. After making the sky, sea, land, and plants, He made the fish, birds, and animals. However, when it came to the creation of human beings, something was different. Human beings were made “in His own image.” While humanity shares some biological features with the animals, the fact that we are image-bearers makes us qualitatively different from the animals.

As bearers of the divine image, we share something with God that the animals do not. As image-bearers, God gave man dominion over the natural world. Although the full implications of the image of God in man are beyond the scope of this article, the important thing to note is that while all of creation has value as something created by God, human beings have intrinsic worth because of the God whose image we bear.

Our low condition because of sin.

So, when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. – Genesis 3:6

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned – Romans 5:12

Though we have intrinsic worth because we bear the image of God, we must also recognize the reality of sin. Unsatisfied with all that God had given them, our First Parents disobeyed God, eating the fruit of the forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden.

Tragically, Adam was not acting solely on his own behalf but was representing the entire human race when he sinned. Every man, woman, and child to the end of time is held guilty for his first sin as if they had committed it themselves.

As if this were not bad enough, humanity became corrupt at the fountainhead, thus each human being inherits a sinful nature (that is, an inability not to sin) from his or her parents. This means that given the choice between good and evil, and apart from the power of the Holy Spirit, a person will always and without exception choose to sin.

Thankfully, the Holy Spirit restrains sin in the world so that people do not commit every sinful act that they could or might want to, but that is not because of some kind of innate goodness in man. It is solely because of the power of God. Sin stains even our best deeds, rendering them unacceptable to God apart from the atoning work of Christ. As Spurgeon put it: “There will be something to be repented of even in our best repentance.”

All of this should help shape our thinking about self-esteem. Yes, we are created in God’s image and have great value, but the fact of our sin should crush any form of pride. Humanity is no longer in that state of holiness in which God created it. Worse, we are conceived in a state of enmity with God, and we can do absolutely nothing to save ourselves. Any righteous deeds that we do are only acceptable to God when they are covered in Christ’s righteousness.

Having good self-esteem should never mean thinking highly of ourselves no matter our failings or sins. Whether we are still in that state of enmity against God, or whether we have been saved from our sins, it is inappropriate for us to think highly of ourselves when we have sinned against Him. Rather, we must humbly acknowledge our sinful status before God and repent.

Thinking properly of ourselves.

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. – Romans 12:3

Romans 12:3 is a key verse for understanding what the Bible has to say about how we view ourselves. First, Paul commands us to avoid inflated egos. He tells us that we are not to think of ourselves “more highly than” we should. In other words, our self-esteem must not be higher than is appropriate.

Likewise, in the next phrase, Paul says that we are to think about ourselves with “sober judgment.” This means that though our self-esteem should not be higher than is appropriate, it should also not be lower than is appropriate. R.C.H. Lenski, in commenting on this verse says, “We are to think of ourselves only as highly as we are compelled to think by the warranted facts; beyond that lies sin, below it sin, and the sin is falsity in either case.”

Rather than framing the discussion as “high” versus “low” self-esteem, perhaps it might be better to think in terms of “proper” versus “improper” self-esteem. That self-esteem which represents an accurate view of oneself is proper, while that which does not represent reality is improper. After all, self-esteem can be wrong by being too high as well as too low.

Thinking more highly of others.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. – Philippians 2:3

The problem with much of the thinking about self-esteem is that it focuses the attention on self, rather than on others. Once again, as is so often the case in the Scriptures, Paul instructs us to put aside our pride and think of others, considering them to be more important than ourselves.

While this can be taken to an extreme, of course, most people don’t usually need to hear that they should think more highly of themselves. The sin of pride has become so common in our society that it is actually encouraged and considered a virtue. As is often the case, the biblical view is seen as countercultural because it teaches a kind of humility that places others and their needs first.

As Peter says in 1 Peter 5:5, “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’”

Christian Counseling for Self-esteem Issues

If you struggle to maintain a proper view of yourself, the first thing you need to do is to read the Scriptures and go to the Lord in prayer. If you are still struggling after reading God’s promises of love and care, and after meditating on the fact that you were made in His image, then consider making use of Christian counseling for further help.

A Christian counselor will come alongside you and help you to work through your self-esteem issues. They will walk with you down the road to recovery of a proper view of yourself, enabling you to view yourself the way that God does.