Self Esteem

I met with a friend, a while back, who was struggling with an issue that is not uncommon...self-esteem.  Believe it or not, how we perceive ourselves will effect our lives in many ways.  Low self-esteem can lead to depression, which has been known to lower the body's ability to fight illness, not to mention all the other products of depression...loss of energy, loss of focus, loss of enjoyment...  Low Self-Esteem is our perception that we have no value, serve no purpose, can't do anything right, feeling not good enough.  

Where do we get that perception of ourselves?  When we believe what others tell us.  I had a boss, many years ago, who seemed to take great pleasure in telling his staff how worthless we were and how we could never do anything the way it should be done.  Guess what?  After a while, we started believing what we were being told.  I chose to leave that job, but some of the others were too beaten down to believe anyone else would hire them.  

But there's good news!!!  God promises that He will ALWAYS love us and be with us.  Jesus reminds us that we are SO loved that God even knows how many hairs we have.  And, let's face it, God made us in HIS image.  And Jesus died for us, which makes us pretty valuable, while we were still messing up!  Not only that, but He rose from the grave....FOR US!  When we realize just how valuable God finds us, we will begin to see ourselves as the children of the KING OF KINGS!