Member-only story
Rebuilding Self-Esteem as a Christian
How Christians can combat low self-esteem and realize their true worth.
I have experienced a dysfunctional childhood, abuse, and neglect and struggled with low self-esteem. Looking back, I can see how my feelings of unworthiness negatively impacted my life. I saw myself as a stupid inferior being who did not deserve love and respect.
Failure and embarrassment in relationships seemed inevitable, so I built a protective wall around myself. Only a few friends could get to know the “real” me. Healthy relationships with the opposite sex seemed impossible.
School was a struggle, and I did not do well academically. Work was a nightmare at times. Anxiety plagued me in the workplace, so I made silly mistakes. I was depressed because I felt that I thought that I could not meet people’s expectations. I feared I would be exposed as an ignorant, naïve, and stupid person. My thoughts were plagued with self-criticism of my looks, intelligence, and judgment. I blamed myself for other people’s words and actions.
When I was in my 20s, however, I became sick and tired of feeling bad about myself all the time. The more I studied the Bible, the more I realized that God does not want me to live this way. It taught me that God valued me as His child and wants me to prosper and be in good health (Jeremiah 29:11).
