Does God want you to have a low self esteem?

[paisley]

"How can one be humble as the Bible commands without first having confidence?? "
When we place all our confidence in God, we become humble. For example, we are confident that God can save us but that humbles us in knowing that we can't save ourselves without Jesus. We are confident that God will help us through any struggles, thus we can overcome whatever problems we encounter, but we are humbled by the fact that without God's strength we could crumble under the pressure or become hardened by the experience or weak and end up doing something wrong. The list goes on and on as to how we can walk confidently yet humbly in God.

 

[paisley]

"I have a hard time understanding why Christians want to have low self-esteem. The Bible calls us pecular people. That means God's private property, and makes me feel good about myself. "


I don't think most Christians want to have a "low self-esteem". I think most Christians agree with you. We are just defining self-esteem a little differently. I can't imagine anyone not feeling good knowing they are a child of God! Likewise, I can't imagine any Christian not feeling good knowing God personally loves, cares for, and looks out for us! Moreover, who could not feel fantastic knowing we are saved by the blood of Christ! How can we genuinely praise God if we don't feel good inside? God does not want a bunch of moping children but bright, cheerful lights that His presence brings. However, we get this joy, cheer and peace from knowing and centering on God rather than ourselves. I think that is what people here are trying to say. We are not saying "hate yourself and love God", but more like "love yourself because of who you are in God and for how God sees and loves you". I think we are in agreement; we are just expressing the same thought in different ways.

 

[lovely]

Hi Jack,

Golfjack wrote:

I have a hard time understanding why Christians want to have low self-esteem.

I just wanted to tell you that I didn't say low self-esteem, but no self-esteem. I don't want to esteem myself in either direction, because they both represent a focus on self...pride either way. Absence of pride is the goal of a believer through Christ.

I simply think that as believers we are not to emphasize self at all. We are not to be carnal minded, and it is through Christ that we can have the reality of this. The peace of this. It is not that I am being unsympathetic to you, and others, who have been wounded, but just the opposite. The new psychology movement is a counterfeit, and not a very good one...it is empty, deceptive, and promises more than it can truly deliver. It is a man-centered religion, and Satan has tried to mix it with Truth so that we will buy hook, line, and sinker. It is in the church, and needs to be exposed. It will not truly help anyone, only Truth will because it is all about the Gospel, and not fixing ourselves, but serving Christ, and all else aligning to that. This is true healing...that of the soul.

God has given His children an abundance of joy, and has valued us highly...as John mentioned...by loving us to the point of the Father bruising His Son, and the Son willing to be bruised for our sin, and the Holy Spirit dwelling here with us. I was not trying to frustrate you, or argue, but just trying to give a measure of Truth to the topic. We are to be like Christ, and He had neither a low self-esteem, or a high self-esteem. He esteemed us before Himself, but knew that He was the only One who could give us life. We are required to put other's first because of God's love toward us, but also to realize that we are the one's who carry the Gospel, and should do so boldly. We are to understand that we are not holy of ourselves, but that we are holy as God's people, and should walk in obedience apart from worldliness conducting ourselves as holy. We can know who we are in Christ, and this gives us confidence in Him...not in self This confidence/faith in God is enough to cause us to esteem others before ourselves because we do not need anything but every word that proceeds from the Father.

Those who are in a state of being so focused on self...to the point of self-pity, or self-confidence, are in danger of not having the blessing, or hope, of walking in the Spirit, and keeping their focus on serving the Lord...true worth assigned by God. I did not mean to offend you if I did. The Lord bless you.

 

[Dave...]

Great post, Lovely.

As for the "love your neighbor as yourself", I tend not to look at "love" in this verse not in the context as self esteem, but just the general way we care for ourselves as in this verse...

Ephesians 5:29-30
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

Also, the good Samaritan shows what loving your neighbor as yourself means, nowhere was self esteem a part of that parable.

 

[lovely]

I agree with your take on that verse, Dave. The Golden rule comes to mind, "Do unto others..."

The Lord bless you today.

 

[John the Baptist]

Great post, Lovely.

As for the "love your neighbor as yourself", I tend not to look at "love" in this verse not in the context as self esteem, but just the general way we care for ourselves as in this verse...

Ephesians 5:29-30
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

Also, the good Samaritan shows what loving your neighbor as yourself means, nowhere was self esteem a part of that parable.

***
LOVE? True Agape Love is a PRINCIPLE! We are the ones who garble it up, huh? In other words, feeling good, emotion, excitement are not always the effect of true Love. Principle is! Christ's death on the cross gives the REAL MOTIVE of what Love means. Did He feel good is a no/brainier.

I can't leave without this last remark! : Even though the post was to another, who gave very spiritually Matthew 4:4 real Food.

And my remark has to do with Real Love also. I find satan has twisted Love up since the start of the human race! (2 Corinthians 4:2) And I find that most folks who will be lost, who are MATURE, will be lost because their Love for Christ is 'sick'! (Revelation 3:16-17)
And Mature means that these ones are classed in Luke 12:47-48. And the sin that puts them burning in hell the [longest] is the Sin of 'OMISSION', not commission.

Most non/mature ones do not know what has been said! So let me talk a little 'street talk'? The Church smells! It smells very very foul, to Christ! Fact! Why is it be allowed to stay so by these mature 'leader' ones??? (Revelation 17:5) It is because these MATURE ones are the problem with their professed Love of Christ! Don't rock the boat! (church) The wheat & the tares all grow together, what do you want me to do, get crucified as did Christ? You call that love, they teach in bottom line? Compare John 12:42-43 :roll: These ones Love Christ, huh? :

Golden Rule? Would True Agape Love allow any found in Obadiah 1:16 without warning??? I think not!

---John

 

[Vic C.]

OK, we're straying from the topic a bit, but I need to ask this:

Golden Rule? Would True Agape Love allow any found in Obadiah 1:16 without warning??? I think not!

Hmm, is agape conditional or unconditional? Can anyone reply with a simple, black and white answer, if possible? 8-)

 

[John the Baptist]

OK, we're straying from the topic a bit, but I need to ask this:


Hmm, is agape conditional or unconditional? Can anyone reply with a simple, black and white answer, if possible? 8-)

Conditional! Eternal Covenant. Hebrews 13:20 God will not save any who will not abide by His Covenant. So says the third person of the Godhead's Inspiration. Acts 5:32 + Matthew 28:20, Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 & on & on!! :fadein:

---John

 

[lovely]

Jesus was our sacrifice, but we are still to be obedient to God, and should fear Him. He did not die so that we could continue on in sin, but as an atonement for God's children who love Him, and obey Him. The process after being born again is growing in obedience to the faith because it conforms us to Christ, and means that we are willing to give God all in submission to Him.

Romans 5:19
19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Hebrews 5:8
8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

We are not greater than our Master. Obedience was required by God for the sacrificial agape love that He has given to His children. The beatings, and blows, of this life chisel, and shape, us into the image of Christ...to that obedience that defeats disobedience.

Romans 6:16
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

If we are not obedient to God, we are obedient to the satanic one.

1 Peter 1:21-23
21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

If our hope is in God, then we are obedient to the Truth, and that is the only way we can love with God's love. And we are known by this love that comes through obedience...

1 John 5:2-4
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Jesus said...

John 14
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

The Lord bless you.

 

[John the Baptist]

OK, we're straying from the topic a bit, but I need to ask this:


Hmm, is agape conditional or unconditional? Can anyone reply with a simple, black and white answer, if possible? 8-)

********

There you have it Vic C. Lovely gave you a 'Lovely' post right from heavens Eternal Library! :angel:

---John

PS: Off topic, but who is Vic C. :

 

[Vic C.]

********

There you have it Vic C. Lovely gave you a 'Lovely' post right from heavens Eternal Library! :angel:

---John

I was trying to head off anyone that may have tired to say that God's love is unconditional across the board (ie, UR) but I thank you both for your posts.

PS: Off topic, but who is Vic C. :

• :-D