Worth Considering… A Thought for Today Self-Esteem “But now thus says the Lord,…’Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy one of Israel, your Savior.” – Isaiah 43:1a, 1c-3a (ESV). We hear much about the importance of self-esteem, which, briefly defined, is a psychological term meaning a confidence and satisfaction in oneself, self-respect. As a teacher, I was trained in the importance of seeking to help my students develop self-esteem and the importance of leading each to see that he/she is “somebody.” Sometimes the ones in my charge did not come to my classroom with this personality characteristic already developed. Sometimes I worked very hard to help students to develop a sense of self-worth and enough respect for self that they could begin to grow into a potentially useful and productive individual. This was in no way developing self-conceit. Rather it was to help them see their self-worth and potential. Amazingly, God offers us lesson after lesson on building our self-esteem. Today’s focal passage from Isaiah is an excellent one for teaching self-esteem. “I have redeemed you, I have called you by name, you are mine!” How amazing is it that God knows each of us by name and has called us? Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones wrote, “The world would have you believe that you do not count and that you are but a speck in the mass. God says, ‘I know you!’” How wonderful is the truth of this statement! Several things can be ruled out as producing self esteem. It’s not bound to which family we were born into; not on how much education we receive; not on what we do for a living; not on what we own, where we live or our wealth; not on what people think of us. If we depend on these societal measures for self-esteem, we can be very vulnerable to rejection and disappointment. But if the individual can discover and affirm who God thinks he/she is, and build a life upon that truth, then self-esteem will have a sure foundation. God tells us that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” (Psalm 139:14), and created by Him, for He “formed my inward parts…knitted me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13). Someone has aptly stated, “God created me, and God didn’t make any junk!” “Thus says the Lord who created you…’Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine!” Can it get any better than this? I think not. What grateful self-esteem this knowledge should bring to each of us! And with the right concept of self, neither trials by water, by fire or any other adversity will overcome us, for we go with the sure knowledge that God knows us by name and is with us. Praise be to God! -Ethelene Dyer Jones 10.05.2013.
Posted on: Sat, 05 Oct 2013 04:10:54 +0000
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