How do I conquer low self-esteem?
Let’s be honest – at some point, each of us has faced low self-esteem. It’s perfectly natural to have a season when you don’t believe in yourself and be unsure your purpose in life.
Several years ago, I went through a season where my self-esteem was at its lowest. I had no friends, my social and family life was a mess, and I was doing very badly at school. At one point, the thought of ending my life ran through my mind, but by God’s grace, that did not happen. The Lord intervened in his own perfect way, just at the right time!
What made me fall into the chasm of low self-esteem? Simple – I believed that what people thought and said about me and what they wanted me to be was more important than God’s plan for my life. I spent my days trying to please people, rather than God, forgetting that HE is the one who created me and put me on the earth for a purpose!
Here is the good news. God, having created us, knew that there would be times when we would need a little nudge to push us out of the state of low self-esteem, and thus had several verses put into his word to encourage us. I have listed a few below.
Psalm 139:13-14 “You made the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous –how well I know it.” (NLT)
God formed me piece by piece into a wonderfully complex human being. He made me different from everyone else around me, for a reason. Would he make such a beautiful work because he did not have a purpose for it? No way! Would he take his time forming me so that I would feel worthless and useless? Certainly not!
The next time somebody attempts to put you down because of your appearance, the way you talk, the way you dress, etc, don’t let your self-esteem go down. Instead, remind them that you are God’s work of art and that he knew what he was doing when he put you together!
Psalm 62:5-6 “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.” (NIV)
Many self-esteem issues have outside sources. Often, people who you interact with frequently at home, in church, or at the workplace are the first to put you down whenever they can. Did you know, however, that if you firmly believe in God as your rock, salvation, fortress, helper, and source of strength, nothing that anyone says will get you down? Let your sense of self-worth come from him, not from the people around you. Find rest in him and trust in him completely and nothing will shake you!
Jeremiah 29:11 ‘”For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’ (NLT)
Let’s get back to the issue of people saying stuff about you that gets you down. How do you fight back? Simple – you strengthen your spirit. The verse above from Jeremiah has words that you can use to remind yourself that what people say about you is not final. God says he has plans for you – God has your life’s blueprint, not man- Wow! He then goes on to say that these plans are for good – awesome! Next, he says that these plans are not for disaster – this means that what I consider a disaster right now is only temporary! After that, he says that his plans will give me a future – I have something great to look forward to – yippee! Lastly, his plans give me a hope – my faith increases as I continue to trust him! That, my friends, is how you kick low self-esteem out of the window!
Philippians 4:13 “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.“ (NLT)
The world out there will always tell you what you can’t do, simply because nobody wants you to succeed and outshine him or her in the process. Now – we all know that we cannot succeed using our own human strength, right? Whom, then, do we turn to? You and I turn to Christ, the source of our strength! Once I acknowledge my weaknesses and turn to Christ for strength, I succeed in all I do, and my self-esteem is restored!
For many years, I grappled with low self-esteem. My turning point came when I decided to believe what God says about me, his beloved child. I turned my focus from what my environment was speaking to my heart to what the Word of God was saying. Are you suffering from low self-esteem today? Maybe it’s time to look to God, and remind yourself what he says about you. Remember, if you put your faith in God and draw your strength from him, you will start to believe in yourself, and soon, everyone around you will believe in you as well!
Hi, everyone! As always, I would love to hear from you. Let me know what stood out for you in this article, and what comments you may have. If you loved the article, please share it with your friends. See you next week! Alison