Poster | Thread | Billy7 Member
Joined: 2005/8/9 Posts: 61
| Re: The Christian and self-esteem??? | | "For no flesh shall glory in His sight. And until you've understood the sanctifying work of God by the Holy Ghost taking you into union with Christ in death and burial and resurrection, you have to serve in what you have and all you have is that which is under the sentence of death: human personality, and human nature, and human strength, and human energy. And God will get no glory out of that!" - Paris Reidhead: Ten Shekels and a Shirt _________________ Billy Evans
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| 2005/11/29 9:40 | Profile | habakkuk3 Member
Joined: 2005/10/18 Posts: 490 Virginia
| Re: | | Thanks again to everyone,
I missed your posts Chanin. Thank you. Will pray about the books you posted.
This verse came to mind after reading through the latest posts: Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. _________________ Ed Pugh
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| 2005/11/29 9:49 | Profile | martymill Member
Joined: 2005/10/17 Posts: 48 Montreal, Canada
| Re: | | Quote: [size=xx-small]"I am not trying to simplify this brother but I think Christian's have low self-esteem because we are living with one foot in the world and one in the church. Inside we are miserable and don't have confidence because we are not abiding in him and living in holiness. Oh for the boldness to know what we are living, living without comprimise. There is liberty in the Spirit but if we are living in the flesh some of the time that liberty will not seem like liberty." [/size]
Amen to that brother.
Low self-esteem was/is a real problem for me. When I am dead to self and walking in light (1 Jn 1:5) I find that most problems that are the result of Low S-E (need for approval, shame, fear of rejection...) are just not an issue anymore.
I don't have to find healing for low S-E, I just need to pick up my cross and follow Him and the old man and his weaknesses are taken care of.
Martin _________________ Martin Millette
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| 2005/11/29 10:10 | Profile | GaryE Member
Joined: 2005/4/26 Posts: 376 Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania
| Re: | | 1Sa 17:34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: 1Sa 17:35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. 1Sa 17:36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. 1Sa 17:37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. ...........
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God often gives us victories so that down the road when we face a giant of our lives we can look back and remember how God brought us through in the past. The lion and the bear were like that for David. Problems that are to big for us are not to big for God. With God, all things are possible. We are more than conquers through Jesus Christ.
David's esteem was in the living God. He knew it was the Lord who had given him the victory over the lion and the bear and it would be the Lord who would give him the victory over the giant Goliath.
Our warfare is not carnal but mighty through God. We are to be strong in the Lord and the power of his might. As Jesus said, "You can do nothing without me." Christ is made strong in our weaknesses, not in our strenghths. It is the foolish things of this world that God uses to confound the wise. He is made strong in our weaknesses.
O' Praise God. Whether it is the personal battle against the flesh in our lives or the battle that rages against us as we strive to obey the great commission, HE IS ABLE TO GIVE US THE VICTORY.
In Christ, GaryE
_________________ Gary Eckenroth
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| 2005/11/29 11:45 | Profile | IRONMAN Member
Joined: 2004/6/15 Posts: 1924 IN HEAVENLY PLACES WITH JESUS
| Re: | | brethren! whoa this is a most interesting thread indeed. Self-esteem and self-denial are completely at odds with eachother and we are called to self-denial. the Lord has been leading me through the acts of the Holy Spirit and the writings of bro Paul and this stands out, all the things that were done were as a result of a filling with the Holy Spirit and an emptying of self. They didn't build up self to serve God but were in submission to the Holy Spirit which to me is the ultimate self-denial, letting God take over completely.
let us us be crucified that Christ my live in us and through us.AMEN _________________ Farai Bamu
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| 2005/11/29 12:49 | Profile | Compton Member
Joined: 2005/2/24 Posts: 2732
| Re: | | Whitfields comment mentioned earlier certainly touches on the seed of self-consciousness and awareness that has degenerated into the modern obsession with self-worth. We see people making poor moral choices because they are trying to find answers to the wrong questions.
Occasionally there are some who practice self-loathing as a method of countering self-love. Yet I don't think biblical self-denial has anything to do with self-loathing...in fact self-loathing is downright selfish. We simply need to get over ourselves and, resting in Christ, be willing to live for others.
The image of a treasured bottle of expensive perfume being poured out on the feet of Jesus sums up this "paradox" beautifully. Human beings are not worthless...if this were so then there would not be such controversy over tragedies like abortion and world hunger...yet the Christian who treasues life, delights in being "wasted" for love's sake.
I think the best place to thwart the self-focused version of Christianity is in our children. When I look around, I honestly see too many Christian parents who believe it is their job to make their children happy. Once children embrace this purpose for living their moral compass has become defective.
Just some thoughts,
MC
_________________ Mike Compton
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| 2005/11/29 14:19 | Profile | habakkuk3 Member
Joined: 2005/10/18 Posts: 490 Virginia
| Re: | | Excellent thoughts MC. One of my pastors often says that self-condemnation is one of Satan's excuses for not repenting. I've already heard it referred to as "wounded pride" which is very accurate.
One will never become holy through self-flagellation.
Here's an old Keith Green song that I thought fit this thread. I don't recall ever hearing it but I thought it fit. This was my heart for most of my life, so I can readily identify with the lyrics. (If you weren't around for the Jesus movement, the lyrics may seem a little "mod.") ;-)
It's entitled: "Keep All That Junk to Yourself:"
Feeling good bout the way I am, How come you cant just let me be. Oh, Ive got no use for your master plan, No ones running this life but me.
Oh cause I, I have to stand on my own, No I cant lean on nobody else. Cause I, I learned a long time ago, Ive got to keep looking out for myself.
And you can keep all that junk to yourself.
You keep warning me about the way Im going, But my futures looking just fine. And Ive got no use for your scary tales, Im sure Ive got long till I die.
Cause my time, you know, it more important to me, Then to talk about angels and hell. Cause I, Ive read the Bible before, And it keep it right there on the shelf.
And you can keep all that junk to yourself.
Yes, Im feeling real good bout my life right now, And Im sure that for you its all true. If it makes you happy, enjoy yourself, Im so glad its working for you.
But for me, you know, Ive got to stand on my own, No, I cant lean on nobody else. Cause I, Ive learned a long time ago, Got to keep looking out for myself.
And you can keep all that jive to yourself. And you can keep all that junk to yourself. And you can keep all that junk to yourself. _________________ Ed Pugh
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| 2005/11/29 15:19 | Profile |
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