Christ Esteem: The Answer to Self-Esteem

This was originally written on April 14, 2011

Self-esteem is a psychological concept which has worked its way deeply into Christianity. Is it or is it not a biblical concept? Let me briefly review “self-esteem”.

Abraham Maslow came up with his “need” theory and developed his pyramid to explain his “hierarchy of needs”. The “base needs” are our primary needs: food, shelter, water, etc. Moving up the pyramid we have the “need to be loved”, the next our “self-esteem” needs, the next “self-actualization” to the apex of the pyramid a “peak experience”. The peak experience is any revelation which has drastic significance in your life, for many a religious experience. There is no argument that we each have needs as does mankind collectively. We cannot live on an isolated island without going crazy. My first issue (among many) is the “need for self-esteem”, which may redirect an individual to the higher esteem needs, which psychologically, are at odds with Christianity.

What is “self-esteem”? It's a sense of personal worth and ability of the individual. If you don't have it, you have a “lack of self-esteem”. It has become so silly that competing children get trophies for losing a contest. This sets children up for greater disappointments in later life where adults don't get trophies for losing. Many of us are in fact losers in many categories, but if you're a Christian you are a winner for Jesus loves you as you are. Jesus calls on us to be meek (lack of vanity or self-importance: humbleness, humility, lowliness, modesty). So God wants us to be meek.

James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

As you read James, remember that Adam and Eve weren't punished for being meek... they wanted to be as God!

The “formula” from James gives the prescription for high “self-esteem”. That medicine is a high dose of focusing on Christ and his grace. You submit yourself as a meekly servant to him and he will meet your needs . As you humble yourself (reduce self-importance) “he will lift you up”!

But you say... “She has really low self-esteem”! Here is what God's word says “Ephesians 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:”

Those folks should come to Jesus, focusing on Him as their personal Savior, repent and profess belief and He WILL help. I call this not “self-esteem”, but “Christ Esteem”. You see, the difference is on whom you focus. If you put Christ first the self and its miserable condition is not even a priority. As you esteem Christ “he shall lift you up” right out of your doldrums and rut!

I describe this “Christ Esteem” by the same pyramid, only inverted (the apex at the bottom) and refer to it as “Needs Satisfied by God”. At the apex is “Salvation”, followed by “Sanctification”, then “Christ Esteem”, “Love of Others”, and then the basic primary needs; for Jesus says that he will meet all our needs. This I call the “Christ-Centered” model compared to Maslow's “Self-Centered” model.

Does this mean that you'll never feel badly about yourself? No. Sometimes we should. Sometimes it is undeserved. However, the answer in all cases is to let Jesus meet your needs. He WILL meet all of them! And by the way... Maslow's is open to any religious experience with any God or even the self. The only “peak experience” man needs is salvation through Jesus.