“You made all 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.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.” Psalm 139: 13-15
To be honest, I never had a self-esteem or self-confidence issue. Actually, I was the opposite…I knew I was the cat’s meow (very corny, I know). I was too full of myself, and honestly believed that I was better than others- but forget me. I want to talk to somebody out there reading this. Are you always putting yourself down? Are you listening to and believing the lies of the enemy telling you that you’ll never amount to anything worthwhile? Maybe you have a child with low self-esteem, or know someone who feels worthless. If you do… please tell them, and keep telling them (or yourself) that God’s character goes into the creation of every person. Self-rejection, feeling worthless, hating yourself – they have to be one of the worst types of mental torture, if not the worst.
Now…what did Jesus command us to do? He told us to love others as we love ourselves. Love ourselves—verse 14 from Psalm 139 says God’s workmanship is marvelous! God says that we are the apple of His eye! And the very hairs on our head are all numbered!
It’s interesting to know that those who focus on others rather than themselves rarely suffer from low self-esteem, which brings us to loving others. 1 John 3: 16-19 says it best…
“We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.“
If we pick apart the verses, what exactly is John saying by “giving up our lives” for our brothers and sisters? The answer is simple, but many times it’s easier said than done. “Giving up our lives” essentially means giving to others without expecting anything in return. Here’s the hard part (I’m working on this too)… putting someone else’s desires and needs before your own. If we further dissect this scripture, we see it’s not just about money. It’s about compassion. We should take inventory and ask ourselves if we’re doing the best we can to really love others. Are we generous with our money, possessions, and TIME?
With that said… Don’t beat yourself up and think that you aren’t living good enough for the Lord. Did you know when John originally wrote this, my Bible Commentary tells me that many were afraid that they didn’t love others as they should. They felt guilty and thought that they weren’t doing enough good to show proper love to Christ. Their consciences bothered them. John had these people in mind when he wrote this letter, so just know that we are in good company. Even now, I’m sitting here rehearsing things in my mind, and my conscience is accusing me, and I know yours probably is to. How do we escape these gnawing accusations from our consciences? Not by rationalizing our behavior or ignoring them, but by setting our heart on God’s love. When we feel guilty, we have to remind ourselves that God knows our motives and actions. His voice of assurance is stronger than the accusing voice of our conscience. If we are in Christ, He will not condemn us…
“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” Romans 8: 1
You may believe that you have to work hard to make yourself good enough for God. By Jesus’ blood alone (1) We have our conscience cleansed (2) we are free from death’s sting and can live to serve God (3) we are freed from sin’s power. If you’re carrying a load of guilt, because you are finding that you can’t be good enough for God, take another look at Jesus’ death and what it means for you. That old devil is up to his tricks again… Christ can heal your conscience and deliver you from the frustration of trying to earn God’s favor.
“Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of sins they had committed under that first covenant.”
Hebrews 14-15