Self Esteem

Galatians 6: 3-5 -  If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.  Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.

Paul’s last words to the Galatians were a warning to stay humble…without falling into the trap of doubting your worth as a person.  It is not the first time that Paul has reminded us that humility is one of the keys to understanding God’s love for us.  But these verses also remind me that we should always stay confident in ourselves…measuring one’s self against one’s self. I am reminded of what Paul wrote in Romans 12:3, “ For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.”

I have to admit that I have always struggled with this.  I have judged others…been a huge  hypocrite….but I have also judged myself unworthy…deemed myself to be less than  perfect. Poor self concept…feelings that we are not ever good enough…always seeking approval from men for things…always wanting to be prettier…thinking that we just don’t measure up to the world’s standards of what is perfect.  It’s just another trap of Satan… a very hard one to overcome.  

Comparing yourself to someone else is really like comparing an apple to an orange. If you are an orange…and you think that an apple is what is normal…well you are setting yourself up for failure!  And now that you have deemed yourself an orange forever…you have allowed the inferiority complex to spread in your heart.  And now Satan will come in and plant HUGE seeds of doubt and insecurity.

I know…I have done this for years…still fight it every day! As I reflect …I am sure I have been told this is wrong…and I am reminded of my sweet grandmother Simpson.  As I sat at her feet and learned to crochet…she told me once that I should always consider myself in the middle ….that someone would always be better than me…and someone would always be less skilled.

There is just as much danger in judging ourselves inferior as there is in judging ourselves superior to others.  God needs us to be confident in our salvation…but to entirely depend on him for our strength.  We need to ‘test our own actions’ and measure our own growth…looking for a change from what we were…looking to see what we have become with Christ’s love in control. The man in the mirror is all we have been charged to judge…we who have accepted Jesus have been washed perfect in his cleansing blood of salvation and grace.

Father …thank you for this reminder that you have made me who I am for a reason.  Help me this morning to see what you see …the vessel you had in mind to spread your word.  Help me to stop thinking that my hair or my stubby fingers and nails…my over rounded body…the clothes that I wear…or the car that I drive makes me any better or worse that anyone else.   Give me a new confidence this morning…to accept who I am…the way you made me...and be content in your design and plan for me. Help me remove the seeds of doubt and insecurity that Satan has planted to deceive me. Amen.