I spent a considerable amount of time in my pagan days seeking self-esteem and I'm going to do some study on this. I'm just wondering out loud, what is the Christian's response to self-esteem and what is the basis for whatever your belief is?

One of the things that's going on in my heart is digging up some of the old things I used to think I knew and asking the Holy Spirit to quicken me about what the Bible teaches regarding things I still believe.

Any thoughts anyone?

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Ed Pugh

Thanks Brother Greg,

I think I understand what you're saying. So are you equating "Christ esteem" with "self-esteem"? I doubt that you are but I was wondering.

I don't believe any such thing as having one foot in the world and the other one following Jesus. Jesus said that no man can have two masters, so I don't think it's possible, but we think it's possible and that's part of the deception I believe. Pastor James said a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways but riding the fence seems to be illusory.

I was always taught that God wants us to have self-esteem but I find no scriptural basis for such as an assertion. In fact, Jesus tells us point blank to deny ourselves and pick up our cross and follow Him.

I've given away my position but I'm interested in hearing what others believe and why. This is part of the fallow ground of my heart that the Holy Spirit is working on these days.

Now I've gone off on a tangent. Sorry about that...:-D

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Ed Pugh

Well, lately ive been learning a lot about confidence. So this is all I have to add...

I am learning that our confidence is in God and God alone. Not in ourselves. This is an obvious truth in the bible, but now I have had to apply it to social situations. I have always been somewhat paralyzed by fear in new social situations. But God has really been hitting me hard about fear, and confidence. He is showing me that we can place no confidence in ourselves... i will mess up, i will say something stupid, i will leave a bad impression, i will drive people away. But, we can walk into any situation with total confidence in God that He is there with me, for me, and He will take care of it and guide me and my words. I am still learning though... that is about all I have got so far. I have a long way to go concerning fear.

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Joe E

Well you asked, so here's my take on it:

What does the world mean by "self-esteem" but to esteem one's self. I see this as totally contradicting Christ' command to deny one's self. As Christians, we should be seeking to esteem Christ, not self. All my worth is in Him. The only thing worth esteeming in me is what has been wrought within me by Him--everything else must be nailed to the cross.

I once read where Joel O'steen said that his ministry was, what he would describe as "faith based self-help." In my opinion, this is absolutely unbiblical. According to the Bible, there is no help for self. The only cure for self is to kill it. Here is the Apostle Paul's take on self-esteem:

" 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" (Gal. 2:20).

I once heard Winkie Pratney tell about how one day someone asked George Whitefield how was it with his soul, to which he replied, "why, I forgot that I even had one." Point being, the man was so dead to himself and alive to Christ, that he had forgot all about self.

"Oh Lord, please help me to get there!"

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Billy Evans

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Ron Bailey

Great posts guys. Thank you.

A worm with teeth I love that Ron.

I bought a couple of books on "psychoheresy" which is the corruption of Christianity through psychology. We see it throughout the body of Christ, at least in the U.S.

I want every hidden thing in my heart removed that's not of Christ. As the Lord leads, I'll share some of the quotes from the books I'm reading...

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Ed Pugh

Another good book is by Jay Adams (founder of NANC -Nouthetic Counseling) called [url=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0890815534/104-8947742-7566311?v=glance&n=283155&v=glance]The Biblical View of Self Esteem, Self Love, Self Image[/url]

His site is www.Nouthetic.org and you can find some great articles on [url=http://www.nanc.org/page.asp?contentid=46&sub=7#articles]NANC.org[/url]

Hope this helps too :)

"We don't need more self-esteem, we need more GOD esteem."

In Him, Chanin

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Chanin

This is a great thread. Before I was saved I felt confident (self- esteem) in a few areas of my life but not the majority. After I was converted I was much more confident, not in myself, but that Christ was true, and His word was truth. That's my confidence. Anyone who proclaims His word has to have confidence, not in self, but that His word is Truth.

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Josh Parsley