GENESIS 1:26-27 – Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
THEME OF THE DAY. MEASURING OUR WORTH. A lot is written and discussed on the topic of self-esteem. It is stated as necessary for successful child-rearing and its absence to have long-term negative consequences. It is promoted in many books, taught in seminars by motivational speakers, and even may show up in sermons in our churches.
Do we know the concept of self-esteem, either stated or practiced is not found in our Bibles? Nowhere are we instructed to promote good thoughts about ourselves or our goodness in deeds and achievements. In fact, God’s Word teaches the opposite. Here is what the man after God’s own heart, David, says of himself, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 51:5). The Apostle Paul would add, “All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one” (Romans 3:12). But the most direct statements contrary to self-esteem and human goodness come from two direct statements from the Lord; one in the Old Testament and one from Jesus in the Gospels – “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5) and “And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good (God). If you would enter life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17).
I understand the good intention behind promoting self-esteem, but the potential damage in doing so is severe. We can create a society that ignores the fact humans are totally depraved by sin, separated from God, in danger of eternal condemnation, and incapable of doing anything to change our plight. The subtlety behind promoting self-esteem is we will believe we are not that bad. And when we think for a moment in that light, the gospel of Jesus Christ is cheapened, and God’s holy and unyielding law is downplayed.
However, the Bible does teach human worth, not human self-esteem. And in the process of encouraging our children and one another, let’s not do so by applauding what they have accomplished in earthly terms or how good they may appear on a human level of comparison. The way to promote healthy and Biblical self-worth is in today’s scripture. We are created in the image of God. Our worth is found in God, not ourselves. It is Him who gives us worth, not because of what we have done, but by what He has done – making us in His image. That means every single human being has value regardless of earthly achievements or attainments. It is by being image-bearers of God.
We will go a long way in building true confidence and worth in our families and with our fellow believers if we promote the staggering truth that we are created in the image of God. He values us so much because we bear His image. This type of “self-esteem” is what edifies individuals and brings glory to the Creator. So, let’s be careful not to buy into the secular, godless humanism of self-esteem. Instead, let’s remind one another of godly worth – our creation in the image of our Creator.
PRAYER: “Father, help to see my worth is found in You and not anything within myself.”
QUOTE: “Self-esteem and the promoting of self-esteem is a foreign concept and act in the Bible.”