E05: Overcoming low self-esteem: YOU are valuable!

Low self-esteem is something that many people struggle with. In today’s podcast episode Kathy and Julia discuss their experience with it, and how belief in God and in His Word can completely overcome low self-esteem. It’s all about believing in His love for us!

Transcript: “Living the Gospel” podcast, Episode 5 – Overcoming low self-esteem: YOU are valuable!

This is ActiveChristianity’s “Living the Gospel” podcast. Join us as we explore different aspects of the gospel, according to the Bible, and how we can put it into practice in the daily life.

Kathy: Hi everybody, and welcome to this episode of Living the gospel. I’m Kathy, I’m one of the editors at ActiveChristianity, together with Milenko and Eunice, whom you’ve met before. And today is my first podcast, so this is exciting. I’m here with my sister Julia, who you met last week.

Julia: Hi everyone!

Kathy: So, I think we can get right into today’s topic, it’s a big one.

Julia: Yup, it sure is. Today we’re talking about self-image, in other words, how we see ourselves. Kathy, if we’re being honest, both of us have struggled with self-esteem, right?

Kathy: I for sure have. So, things like thoughts of not being good enough, people not liking me, hating the way I do things or say things around other people, and comparing myself to other people, that’s a big one. So, things like that. And, actually, what I’ve found is that thoughts like that are incredibly toxic! They actually just make me depressed and discouraged, and that is not, in any way, beneficial for a disciple life. So, as Christians and as disciples, we’re actually meant to live exalted and joyful lives.

Julia: That’s right. So how have you actually dealt with those thoughts when they come?

Kathy: So, actually, for me what’s really helped, is to hold on to, and really believe, that these thoughts, they never come from God. God made me, and He loves me, and He actually wants only the best for me. So I know that any kind of discouraging and depressing thoughts are not from Him. So if they’re not from Him, then it has to be the opposite – they must be from Satan. And his only goal is to destroy my faith and my hope. So, when thoughts like that come knocking at my mind, I basically just use the words of Jesus, and I say, “Satan, get behind me, I’m not listening to you,” and I think of that verse In Jeremiah that says: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” So, I’ve learned to believe that verse instead of my feelings.

And what about you Julia, how have you dealt with those kind of thoughts?

Julia: Well, for me, I think it really builds on your comment just now that God made you. That’s exactly it. God didn’t just make me. He made me exactly the way He wants me to be. I mean, obviously the sin in my nature needs to be overcome, but my personality, my talents, my interests, even my looks, were designed deliberately by God because He knows that those traits will be the best for me! That’s why He created me the way I am. And He loves that creation. And I mean, if God says He made me just right, who am I to argue with that? Then I can just shut down any thoughts of “Oh, I wish I were a little more like this, or that, or I wish I looked like this, or I didn’t have that in my personality.” Those thoughts are not from God.

Kathy: No, for sure not.

Julia: Actually, for someone who really wants to live a life in Christ, it’s really important to have a healthy self-image!

Kathy: It absolutely is, and to find that healthy self-image is actually not an easy thing. And I think that low self-esteem is actually something that affects a lot of people. But here’s the thing: low self-esteem is absolutely not Biblical.

Julia: It’s not remotely Biblical! And I think that sometimes there can be a bit of a misunderstanding about that. We are for sure meant to be humble. And we even read that we should be lowly in our own eyes. So I think it’s really important to understand the difference between being obedient to those words, and having low self-esteem. What humility really means is that we turn to God for everything, instead of relying on ourselves and our own egos and thinking, “Oh, I can do this myself, I’m so strong …” We give Him the reins, and let Him lead our lives, so that we’re led on paths of righteousness. It has nothing to do with having negative thoughts about myself, and the way I’m made.

Kathy: No, it doesn’t. And the amazing thing is, actually, that when we humble ourselves, and we turn to God and let Him lead us in all our ways, then we also get to know Him. Really know Him and sense His love for us. And then we learn that we are unique, important individuals, whose lives He planned before He even created the earth, actually. So, we’re incredibly valuable in His eyes.

Julia: And it’s so important to understand that. He has planned a perfect life for us, and if we are obedient to follow where He leads us, then we will accomplish perfectly, everything that He has set for us to accomplish. Doing His will on earth, as it is done in heaven, is actually more valuable than any kind of earthly talents or accomplishments.

Kathy: Yup. Yeah, it is. And God made each of us, actually, extremely purposefully, just exactly as we are. So, if we truly believe that, and really put all of our confidence in Him, and believe in His love for us, then we will be able to overcome all thoughts of low self-esteem.

Julia: And it’s not about what I can or can’t do as a person. It’s written that I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. So it’s about looking at what I can do, not what I can’t, and what I can do is follow Him.

Kathy: Yes, all of us can follow Him, that’s absolutely something we can all do. So, on this topic, we actually have a very important article to share with everyone today. This article we published, I believe, 2 years ago now, about 2 years ago, and it has had an amazing response since we published it. It’s written by Martha Evangelisti, and it’s called: Look at yourself through God’s eyes. So she writes it very clearly here. And she wrote this article especially for young people, but I think that it actually applies to all of us. It doesn’t matter how old we are, or where we’re at in our lives, this applies to us.

Julia: Yeah, I’m sure we can all get something from this. Let’s take a listen.

(Click to read:)
Look at yourself through God’s eyes

Julia: Wow, it’s got to be impossible to listen to that and not be encouraged!

Kathy: Yeah, I agree. I think that most of us, I know myself for sure, could probably benefit from listening to that several times, just to get that reminder over and over, that God loves me, and I am valuable to Him.

Julia: Yup. So, if you want more reading material to be encouraged by, we have a whole topic page on ActiveChristianity.org about self-image, including some really good testimonies from people who have struggled with this and learned to overcome it.

Kathy: So we’ll put a link for that in today’s episode description, so all you have to do is click.

Julia: That’s it for today. Thanks for joining us everyone.

Kathy: Thanks everyone, and we’ll see you next time! Bye for now.

Julia: OK, bye-bye!