Self Esteem

I've been thinking lately about how we've spent the past few decades telling ourselves and our children how special we all are. Remember hearing or reading any of these slogans?

...because you're worth it!

It's all about YOU!

Believe in yourself. 

You deserve the best!

You're special!

We're even at the point that we give kids trophies for participating, rather than only for winning, for we're concerned about their self esteem. We certainly wouldn't want their little egos damaged.

But many of the same schools and people who are teaching children that they're so special deny the very existence of God. So, if we're not made in the image of God, I wonder what it is that makes us special? How are we more special, let's say, than a fly? Because we're bigger? If that's the case, then elephants are more special than we are.

Actually, what we really are is SINFUL. We're prideful, arrogant, selfish, etc. Think about it: We are actually the only element of God's creation that IS sinful. Man rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden and all of us born since has inherited a sin nature. It's not that we're sinners because we sin, but that we sin because we are sinners. As sinner, we can't NOT sin.

It's extremely unpopular now to tell children that they're sinners, but that's exactly what we all are. The Bible says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God...All of our 'righteousness' is like filthy rags to Him. We have NOTHING to offer God. Good grief, He's the Creator of the Universe. I wonder what He might need from us. Hmmm... Right. Nothing. Nothing at all. He's not sitting up in Heaven, wringing His hands, waiting for someone to call on Him and join His team. He knows we have nothing to offer Him.

Still, He loves us.

And He has EVERYTHING to offer us.

'While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.' Romans 5:8. God sent his son to secure the salvation of His people.

We are called to repent. That's the part that is so often missing today. We're so busy trying to decide if we're going to ACCEPT Jesus, that we don't see ourselves as the sinners we are. We don't repent of our sin. We just want to keep our sin, even nurture it, then sign on the dotted line somewhere for our ticket to Heaven, and go on with our lives, hoping God will keep pleasantly on the sidelines and let us get back to business as usual.

But the Bible talks about repentance that leads to life. Acts 11:18. Paul preached repentance. Peter preached repentance. Jesus preached repentance. John the Baptist preached repentance. Acts 17:30 , 'God calls all men everywhere to repent.'  And he never turns anyone away. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.' John 6:37.

Our business is to turn from our sin (repent) and put our trust in Christ. It's not about trying to figure out whether or not we find God acceptable, or how we can claim Christianity without truly following Christ.

Oh. And about that slogan, 'Believe in yourself'?  Don't bother. You'll be very disappointed. Tomorrow morning you'll awaken to find you're the same sinful person who went to sleep the night before. 

Put your trust in Christ alone. He is the only one who is trustworthy. He is the only one who changes hearts.

As our pastor once reminded us, 'God doesn't love us because we're special; we're special because He loves us.'

I John 3:1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God

This post is linked to Thankful Thursday. 
AND Just for the Joy of It