HOW TO BUILD A STRONGER SELF ESTEEM
EPHESIANS 2:10
EPHESIANS 2:10 NKJ
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
OBSERVATION:
The title of this devotional is not clickbait. And neither is it the conventional wisdom of self-esteem building.
In the 80s and 90s, a philosophy called New Age rose in public awareness. Part of that movement centered around making positive affirmations. I worked at a company with a lady who had a jar of positive affirmations on her desk. She could draw one out, they were written on small slips of paper and read it for the day. These positive affirmations would contain phrases like I am valuable. I am loved. I have amazing ability, etc.
I believe that positive affirmations are better than the negative things we often tell ourselves. My challenge with the positive affirmations of the 80s was that they completely left God out. It was all about the individual and did not acknowledge God as the Creator. Very "me" focused.
We have a better way. No apologies for that statement. We have even more positive affirmations about ourselves, but they are built on a solid foundation. Our positive words about who we are come from what God's word says about us in Christ. Because we have believed in Jesus as Lord and Savior, the Bible says some very positive things about us because of our relationship in Him.
Today we can boldly declare that we are God's workmanship. One translation says His masterpiece. And because we are united together with Christ, we are destined for good works. This is God's plan for us. Talk about a real self-esteem builder. But our self-esteem is built on the foundation of the spiritual realities that are ours in Christ. Now, this may sound unusual, but our self-esteem is not built on me but on Him. That is a better, stronger, higher way.
APPLICATION:
The one thing that the positive affirmation people got right is speaking those affirmations out loud. There is a connection between our heart and mouth that we do not want to gloss over.
We can boldly say, because it is written, that we are God's workmanship. His own master work, His work of art (Amplified Bible). And we are ready and able to do the good things He planned for us.
Don't be concerned if it seems awkward to say this about yourself. Remember, we are basing our beliefs on His word, not our feelings.
PRAYER:
Dear Father thank you for what You have done in me because of my faith in Jesus. You paid a high price for me so I refuse to devalue myself. I am what You say I am.