Self Esteem
By Stephen Terry
For the LORD God is a
sun and shield;
the LORD bestows
favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose
walk is blameless.
Psalm 84:11, NIV
Have you ever noticed some Christians
walk around all downcast and gloomy? They talk about how unworthy they are of
even the meager blessings they have received. Although the Bible calls
them sons and daughters of God (1 John 3:1) and joint heirs with Christ (Romans
8:17), they have the appearance of orphans abandoned by all and cared for by no
one. And if something nice should come their way, they are apologetic to
everyone that they have received something that they feel they do not deserve. Is
this how God intends for us to live?
How would you feel if your child went around telling
everyone that they did not deserve the gift you gave them and hid it away,
ashamed to let others see it? Most would soon stop giving gifts to
children who acted like this. Why would they give gifts that were not
appreciated? How then does our heavenly Father feel when we are ashamed of what
He has blessed us with? On the other hand, how much joy would He feel if
we rejoiced with others at what He has given?
God desires to shower blessings and prosperity on His
children. John, the Disciple who perhaps understood the love of God best wrote
to the church in the following terms: “Beloved, I pray that you may
prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” 3 John 2,
NKJV It is not enough to have
spiritual prosperity. Our physical prosperity and health are blessings God
wishes to give us as well. “The Lord is good to all; he has compassion
on all he has made.” Psalm 145:9, NIV
Should our response to such love, such generosity be one of
sadness and gloom?
Some would say that we should not forget our own
sinfulness and unworthiness. This sense of guilt brought us to the cross.
But have we left it there? Do we continue to dwell on our sinfulness or
do we rejoice in our salvation? God does not hold our sins ever before us.
Why do we? The Bible tells us, “As far as the east is from the
west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm
103:12, NASB Perhaps we should ask ourselves if the blood of Christ
is enough to wash our robes truly white, or are they still a little dingy and
grey? Is there such a thing as only being a little bit saved? Or is it as the
Bible says? “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” 1 John 1:9, NLT
If we doubt these words we are accusing God of lying.
(1 John 5:10) Jesus came not to condemn us to a life of misery over our sins
but to save us. (John 3:17) He wants to set us free from the heavy burden
of guilt we bear because of our past mistakes. He said, “Come unto me,
all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my
yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall
find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30, NIV Why is his burden light? He replaces our
heavy load of guilt with a load of blessings, prosperity and joy.
If God chooses to make us joint heirs with Jesus, who
are we to proclaim our sinfulness? It is enough to say with John Newton who
wrote the song “Amazing Grace,” “I once was lost, but now am found, was blind,
but now I see.” Let’s not live in the sordid past. Let’s rejoice at the
glorious present in the blessings we are receiving daily from God, and let us
rejoice even more at the blessed hope that awaits us when all heaven will open
to receive us.
We are
princes and princesses of a vast kingdom. We are traveling now in a far
country. But as we travel, God has provided everything we need for the trip.
Our presence here brings blessings not only to ourselves but to all around us.
(See Genesis 18:16-33) We should not be ashamed of our blessings because
they are life and hope to others. Instead of hiding those blessings we
should encourage others with a hope in a God who is eager and willing to share
His love and blessings with them.
God could not have placed a higher value on His
creation. Jesus died on the cross for our redemption, but it was not just the
Son hanging there. Paul wrote to the Colossian church, “For in Him
dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;” Colossians 2:9, NKJV God the Father was present on the
cross in Jesus. He truly gave all for us. As any merchant will tell you,
the value of something is the price you are willing to pay for it. At a
time when too many question whether life really has a point, this is a message
worth hearing, and we are the ones to share it.
“for, Everyone
who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can
they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the
one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone
preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is
written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Romans
10:13-15, NIV
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