Looking at Self Esteem and Self Belief
He leads me …
In an article in the Nelson Mail[1], Sean Thomas spoke about a book that he was writing.
One Long Summer is the story of a 13-year-old boy taken from his last week at intermediate school through to his first two weeks at high school.
Thomas said it focused on the adult relationships the boy has over that summer and how they change his outlook on life. The strong theme was “the gift to give a child is self-belief, it’s not self-esteem”.
Thomas went on to say that, “Self-esteem leads to entitlement; I deserve this, I want that … to give children a sense of self-belief is much more valuable.”
But just what is the difference?.
Habakkuk 2:4 (ESV)
“Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,
but the righteous shall live by his faith
“Behold, his soul is puffed up. It is not upright in him“ (v. 4a). The Hebrew word that is translated “puffed up” here is apal, which suggests someone who is full of pride or presumptuous.
• This person believes that their success is a direct result of their own brilliance or hard work. They are so self-focussed that they have little time for God.
• This kind of pride does not encourage human relationships. Again this kind of pride causes the person to be so self-absorbed that they do not relate to others with compassion or concern.
“but the righteous will live by his faith“ (v. 4b). This Old Testament phrase is also quoted in three places in the New Testament (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; and Hebrews 10:38) which indicates its importance.
This kind of faith is more than simply saying that God exists. It is the kind of faith that causes the follower of Christ to act according to their belief, even when it is not to their benefit. The person who has this kind of faith is faithful even when times are tough—even when it seems that God is not with them. They do not require evidence of God’s love, because they live by faith knowing that God loves them.[2]
When Habakkuk wrote, “The righteous shall live by his faith,” he was effectively saying that the righteous person will “live” and not face God’s judgment. In response to their faith in God, they have been given eternal life.[3]
This sort of person lives the kind of life that allows God to work in them, and through them in reaching out to others. Rather than being self-absorbed, they display the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control).
They are not God’s doormats. The Lord does not lord it over them. Quite the opposite. They know this from what He says in the Bible. We know them as God’s Promises.
Let us look at some of these promises, and as we look at each one, let us consider what each point means to us.
· We are loved unconditionally by the One who knows every single rotten, ugly, evil thing about us.
· That He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6)
· The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.(Nahum 1:7)
· He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. (Isaiah 40:29)
· 'For I know the plans I have for you', declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ (Jeremiah 29:11)
· The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. (Deuteronomy 31:8)
· "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6)
· And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8)
· Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)
When we hold on to these promises by faith we have self-belief. This is because of what Almighty God has said about us and what He will do for us, even when we know that we fall short of our own expectations, let alone His.
Despite how we may feel, the Lord says that we are ‘a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that we may declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)
When we can get to the place of accepting this, we can say, ‘With God’s help we shall do mighty things. (Psalm 60:12: Psalm 108:13 TLB) or maybe we are more familiar with ‘Through God we will do valiantly’. (NJKV) Things like not being judgemental of other sinners, but relating to them the way Jesus did with tax collectors, lepers and other social outcasts. With Gods help we can also forgive – even if we initially felt that they did not deserve it.
This is what happens with Christian self-belief and is true Christianity. The rewards are truly amazing.
[1] https://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/123904457/dying-mentor-leaves-special-gift-for-his-young-mentee
[2] https://sermonwriter.com/biblical-commentary/old-testament-habakkuk-11-4-21-4-exegesis/
[3] https://www.gotquestions.org/righteous-will-live-by-faith.html
