March 14 Devotion - Self - Esteem

So He said to them, “You are the ones who declare yourselves just and upright in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts [your thoughts, your desires, your secrets]; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.

 فَقَالَ لَهُمْ:«إِنَّكُمْ تُبَرِّرُونَ أَنْفُسَكُمْ أَمَامَ النَّاسِ، وَلكِنَّ اللهَ يَعْرِفُ قُلُوبَكُمْ. فَمَا يَعْتَبِرُهُ النَّاسُ رَفِيعَ الْقَدْرِ، هُوَ رِجْسٌ عِنْدَ اللهِ.

Luke 16:15

Self-esteem is defined as confidence in one's own worth or abilities; self-respect.

While believers should have high self- esteem, the source of their self-esteem is crucial. I find myself conforming to the world by drawing my self-worth based on how the world and people measure me.

What is the source of your self-esteem? Is it your social setting? Your professional setting? Your culture setting? Your financial setting? Or do you get your self-esteem from pleasing God?

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

فَقَالَ الرَّبُّ لِصَمُوئِيلَ: «لاَ تُلْقِ بَالاً إِلَى وَسَامَتِهِ وَطُولِ قَامَتِهِ إِذ لَيْسَ هَذَا مَنِ اخْتَرْتُهُ، فَنَظْرَةُ الرَّبِّ تَخْتَلِفُ عَنْ نَظْرَةِ الإِنْسَانِ، لأَنَّ الإِنْسَانَ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى الْمَظْهَرِ الْخَارِجِيِّ وَأَمَّا الرَّبُّ فَإِنَّهُ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى الْقَلْبِ».

1 Samuel 16:7

 

When I get my self-esteem from pleasing God, I get my confidence by trusting God. 

                        

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

LORD, I pray that out of Your glorious riches You strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being, so that I can surrender to You and let You transform me into a new person by changing the way I think and make me stop copying the behaviour and customs of this world. Romans 12:2. Lord increase my self-esteem in proportion to the extent that I please You and increase my trust in  You. Abba Father, thank You that You love me and that Your love is unfailing, steadfast, deep, and everlasting. Thank You Father for Your abundant blessings in my life, and for the riches of Your grace upon my life. Father God I pray to You in the name of my Redeemer and Saviour; the Lord of my life, Jesus Christ. To Jesus be the power, the glory, the majesty, the blessings, and the dominion before all time and now and forevermore. Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein