emery@tc.fluke.COM (John Emery) (06/23/91)
Isn't it sometimes hard to feel good about yourself. Inadequacies, bad habits, mistakes, sin, character flaws: they all work against our self esteem. Even the greatest leaders struggle with it. You know, I've asked myself before: where does real self-esteem come from, then? Inevitably, it always comes to the one back to the one truth for me: God loves me. It's so simple, but those three words are full of so much life and power. And that's how God seems to deal with us: simply! So simple that even a child can understand Him. Sometimes as Christians, we struggle even more with the things that take away our self esteem, especially since we are more aware of the perfection of our God and desire so much to please Him. This tends to magnify our failures. Yet the simple truth can not be evaded: God loves you. The very fact that you were created is a demonstration that God loves you. He wouldn't have created you if He didn't love you. Secondly, the very fact the Jesus came to us and died for us, is the greatest demonstration of His love: "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) The second simple truth of self esteem: Jesus died for me. And it was "while you were still a sinner". What does this say? It says that when your nature and actions were such that you were not right in God's eyes, He chose to look past that which was unacceptable to the very core of your being and see someone so priceless and valuable that He sent His Son to redeem it and purchase it for Him. Just think, God was willing to look past your sin because He wanted you so greatly. He so desired to have you for Himself, that He purchased you with the blood of His Son. That simple truth of self esteem is so easy to remember: Jesus died for you. If you belong to Jesus, you are God's precious possession. See yourself as that: a precious, valuable, priceless child of God. Don't dwell on inadequacies and character flaws. Forget about yourself and concentrate on Jesus. Meditate on the magnitude of the simple truths: God loves me and Jesus died for me. You won't be dissappointed! If you belong to Jesus, know this: "The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17) The third truth of self-esteem, God delights and rejoices over me. Just think, your Father sings about you. The turbulence of low self worth is calmed in that "He will quiet you with His love." Hear His love ballard toward you. Jesus is the gentle lover of your soul singing love songs of you. If you have submitted your life to the Lordship of Jesus, this is your inheritance: rejoice in it. One may ask, "But is God pleased with my failings?" The answer is no. But He has offered one sacrifice for your sin and no other sacrifice is needed: "And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin." (Hebrews 10:18) "because by one sacrifice, He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." (Hebrews 10:14) Perhaps because of your spiritual inadequacies, you are unable to please God. But what pleases Him more is your faith in the sufficiency of His Son, Jesus. Peter says of this faith that is is more precious than gold refined by fire (1 Peter 1:7). This faith is willing to believe that what Jesus did for you by dying on the cross is sufficient to cover all of your shortcommings and sins. Because of this faith, you can accept the truths of the foundations of self esteem: * God loves you * Jesus died for you * God rejoices and delights in you May the hearts of the saints be refreshed, John Emery emery@tc.fluke.COM