Self Esteem, God Esteem

Self-esteem is a big piece of ungodly counsel we see so much of in our world today.  It is even found in many places in Christiandom, but it is ultimately a huge lie of the devil.  In scriptures, we must note that we are taught not to love ourselves, unlike the world:

John 12:25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. (NKJV)

From young, however, we are taught that we should build self-esteem.  This is in direct contradiction to scripture:

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. (NKJV)

and also

Matthew 19:30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first. (NKJV)

Self-esteem pits us against others – it measures our self-worth by things that we can do, our talents, our achievements, even our own goodness.  The fact of the matter is that we are actually told to esteem others better than ourselves

Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. (NKJV)

Like Paul, we should consider all the works of our effort as loss. As dung:

Philippians 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, (KJV)

In its place we should build God-esteem.  We can only be as full of God as we know the love of Christ for us.

Ephesians 3:19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (NKJV)

It is the love of God that causes us to change our minds, away from worldly thinking to Godly thinking:

Romans 2:4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? (NKJV)

Only when we know how much He loves us that we can do this:

1 John 4:9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (NKJV)

and

1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us. (NIV)

Would that we spend more time finding out about God's love for us, than working up a love for ourselves.