The world says we need to have a high self-esteem.  Psychologists say it all the time and attribute many of the problems people have to the problem of low self-esteem.  Even many Christians think it is important to have high elf-esteem.  This is sad.  It is sad because, according to Scripture, we all esteem ourselves too highly. 

 

Ephesians 5

The Bible says, "No man ever hated his own flesh" (Ephesians 5:25).  This comes to us in the context of Paul's discussion of marriage.  Paul says husbands need to love their wives as they do their own bodies.  He not only assumes all men love their own bodies, but he says so explicitly.  He says all men nourish and cherish their own bodies.  Men were born into this world loving themselves

 

Matthew 22

According to Jesus, the second greatest commandment says we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:39).  He assumes that all men love themselves. 

 

Isaiah 53

Isaiah 53:6 says, "All we like sheep have gone astray.  Each of us has turned to his own way."  All men are sinners.   All men go their own way.  They go their own way because they love themselves.

 

Luke 9:23

The call of the gospel, according to Jesus, is to "deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow [Christ]" (Luke 9:23).  The gospel requires that a man disown himself.  He must forget about himself.  He must stop defending hiimself, protecting himself, seeking after his own pleasure above all, etc. 

 

We have been duped

There are some Christians that have attempted to mix psychology with the Bible.  This is impossible.  Psychology is not purely a science as many propose.  This issue is an example of the damage that can be done when a Christians tries to mix psychology and the Bible. 

 

When I was younger I was given the book, Preparing for Adoloscence, by James Dobson.  James Dobson, a Christian psychologist writes to help young people deal with the problems they will face during their "adolescent" years.  He asserts that one of the main problems a teenager faces is that of low self-esteem.  He encourages young people to think highly of themselves.  Tragically, many young people have read this book.  Tragically, many young people have listened to Dobson's blatantly wrong teaching on this issue and have begun to pursue a love for themselves.  This pursuit is contrary to the gospel.  They are called by God to pursue a love for God, a love for others, and a denial of self.

 

While there is truth outside of the Bible, the Bible is the only pure source of truth.  In addition to this, the Bible claims to give us all we need for life and godliness.  Dobson has relied on his own "wisdom" to sort through the error of the world's thinking.  He has too much confidence in his own "wisdom."  He has accepted an unbiblical teaching of the world - the need for self-esteem. 

 

What about...?

Some may wonder about the person that commits suicide because "he hates himself."  Does he truly hate himself?  Does he truly have low self-esteem?  NO!  A person who commits suicide loves himself!  He ends his life because he can't get what he wants.  He wants to be free from some kind of "pain" in this life.  He ends his life because it is what he wants to do.  If he truly hated himself, he would not end his life.  Rather, he would subject himself to more "pain." 

 

A teenage girl may say, "I hate myself because I am ugly."  In reality, she loves herself as so wants to be attractive.  If she really hated herself, she would want to be ugly.

 

Supposed basis for self-esteem

Christ died for the valuable?  Some Christians say we should recognize how valuable we are because Christ has died for us. They say that Christ sees how valuable we are and it motivates him to die for us.

 

This idea turns the gospel on its head!  Christ died for men - not because men are valuable - but becausee HE is merciful and gracious.  Christ died for the ungodly.  He didn't die for the lovely. 

 

Why did he die for the unlovely?  He did so ultimately for His Father.  The Father gave a group of people to be redeemed to His Son.  The church is a love gift to His Son.  The church is a bride for Christ.  Christ redeems the people given to Him by His Father.  He purifies them, and in so doing honors his Father.  So, the ungodly and unlovely are redeemed because Christ and His Father love each other! 

 

In the image of God = valuable?  Some Christians say from Psalm 8 that men are valuable because they were created in God's image.  They say men have been given God's glory so they are worth something. 

 

This is an unfortunate conclusion to draw from Psalm 8.  The psalmists was not reveling in his own worth as a man.  He was trying to figure out why God would even give him the time of day because of who man is!!!!! 

 

Man was created in God's image, and he distorted God's image with his sin!  Man does not have any inherent glory.  He reflects God's glory.  He has none of his own.  When man considers himself, he should not give glory to himself, but glory to God.  He should praise God, not himself.

 

Conclusion

What we need is not self-esteem but God esteem, or Christ-esteem.  All of us love ouselves.  All of us must work hard to deny ourselves.  All of us need to esteem Christ more highly.