Results 1 - 8 of 8
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | How high is your self-esteem? | Rom 12:3 | Aixen7z4 | 97596 | ||
It's hard to know what to think. For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. So what do we do? We would like to serve. We would like to feel fulfilled. We would like to use our gifts for the benefit of others. But even as we attempt to do so we are aware that some will accept us and some will not. It will affect our self-esteem. We dare not be proud, because we have learned that God resists the proud. We must be clothed with humility. And yet we are told that we are the sons of God. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ we are, each of us, the child of a king. A royal priesthood. He has made us kings and priests to God. Yet, you see your calling, brethren that God has chosen the weak things, the base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not. No flesh should glory in his presence. There is no boasting. Our salvation is not of ourselves. It is a gift of God. Our spiritual gift is a gift from God. That's why it is called a gift. What do you have that you did not receive? If you received it, why do you boast about it? If you are different, isn't it because God has made you different? Yet it has been said that there are three versions of you: 1. What you think of yourself. 2. What others think of you. 3. What you really are. Some of us have very low self-esteem, based in part on what others have said of us. But is that not an affront to God? Some of us think very highly of ourselves. But what if it is too high? What if it equals pride? Some of us have yet to learn what God has built into us. Yet this latter seems to be the focus of the scripture saying that we should think soberly. We should recognize and accept what God has made us. How high then should be your self-esteem? |
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2 | How high is your self-esteem? | Rom 12:3 | EdB | 97624 | ||
Aixen7z4 Ah! The wonderful world of psycho-babble. "It's hard to know what to think." "1. What you think of yourself. 2. What others think of you. 3. What you really are." Then you answered the question yourself. "And yet we are told that we are the sons of God. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ we are, each of us, the child of a king. A royal priesthood. He has made us kings and priests to God." Galations 5:16-26 tells us who we are how to think and most importantly how to live this life. Galatians 5:16-26 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. [17] For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. [18] But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. [19] Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, [20] idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, [21] envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. [22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. [24] And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. [25] If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. [26] Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Let the Spirit lead you not the psycho-babble that is so popular today. EdB |
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3 | How do I (you, we) come across? | Rom 12:3 | Aixen7z4 | 97625 | ||
I agree. So now please tell us: How high is your self-esteem? Do you think of yourself as a king or as a servant? Do you combine them both? And then what do you get? Romans 12:3 is in the context of fitting into the body, the church. Does it not matter then, how you come across to people? The question has the serious goal of helping us to have a proper self-concept and to carry ourselves accordingly. |
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4 | How do I (you, we) come across? | Rom 12:3 | EdB | 97626 | ||
Aixen7z4 James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. When your secure in Christ Jesus you humble yourself and let Him present you to the world. We get all tangled in psycho-babble trying to decide how act, feel and respond to those around us. If we have a servants heart knowing we are secure children of the King we don't have to pretend to be something we are not. If we let the world define us then we worry how it views us. If we Let God define us we know how He views us. 1 Peter 5:5-6 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." [6] Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, For many years I worked as a staff for a very large corporation. Staff meetings were filled with people jostling and jockeying for position, to be heard. I was part of it and with my excellent worldly training I was in there fighting with the rest. One day I read Proverbs saying be slow to speak, a silent man is thought wise, control the tongue, etc. Then I read where Jesus said upon entering a room take the lowest position you will receive honor to be promoted but it is dishonor if your asked to move down. I started to follow that advice in subsequent staff meetings. Listening instead of trying to assert myself, keeping silent when everything in me said show your brilliance, taking the seat of least importance. Things began to change, instead of forcing myself to be heard, my silence was recognized as “assumed wisdom” and I was asked for my opinion. Many times I was given the floor (a place I many times had fought and “died” for ) I used it summarize everything that was said putting various ideas together into to one workable package. I always gave credit to those whom the idea belonged and soon people saw I sought nothing for myself and was actually giving them the credit. They saw this as a no lose situation and supported my conclusions. When important golden opportunities arose instead of politicking or back stabbing to get the shot as in the past. My humbleness and attitude were rewarded by being given the task usually with concurrence from everyone involved because they knew I would give them all the credit seeking none for myself. Long story short when I left that company many times instead of just a staff attending meeting it was now the person charged with running the meeting. In others words God had exalted me. I know that breaks with everything we have been told but God is awesome God and He is in control. EdB |
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5 | How high? How low? How? | Rom 12:3 | Aixen7z4 | 97688 | ||
Ah, EdB, you make it sound so easy. Part of my motivation for asking the question was a conversation I had with a client yesterday afternoon. She confided that she has been saved for 12 years. And yet, up to this point she has thought of herself as worthless. The fact that she was abused as a child and also in her marriage has something to do with it. It is apparent that some of our brethren are like that sister was, walking around with low self-esteem. Others are haughty, arrogant, even proud. Some answer the telephone with, "Can I help you", giving the impression they are only here on this earth to give help. So I guess I think the matter is not quite that simple. And I should have known. Why did Paul think it necessary to "say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think"? It seems to me that some think too highly and some think too lowly. Or am I wrong about that? |
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6 | How high? How low? How? | Rom 12:3 | EdB | 97715 | ||
Aixen7z4 Too many Christians allow themselves to be convinced they have to live in the past. We have learned to explain our behavior pointing to things in the past whether good or bad and how they effect us, how we should deal with them and even what to expect should issues change. We are in fact allowing ourselves to be made slaves to our old self. I once had a man enter my office he couldn't face life enough to even go to work. He had been in Christian counseling for 5 years and he talked like a counselor, he knew every word, every diagnosis, every symptom, every treatment option, every stumbling block. He sat down and told me exactly what was wrong with him, what psychological blocks were holding back any change for him. He declared himself codependent, effected by a dysfunctional family, which was shifting reality in attempts to avoid the hurts of his past. He had been Psycho-babbled. I asked one question, “are you saved?” He answered, “yes” then I said the Bible must lie because since in 2 Cor. 5:17 it says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” I told him, “if he was really save the old things couldn’t have a hold on him.” I asked him how the old things could still effect him if he was in Christ? He looked at me in wonder and instantly he realized that he had been using all of this as his crutch. His father had abused him and this man refused to forgive him. It was easier to accept all the symptoms of the world, holding low self esteem, depressions, feelings of worthlessness than it was to accept the fact that he needed to forgive his father. That day we prayed for him and his father, he left my office and went to his father’s house a place he hadn’t set foot in, he told his dad he forgave him and loved him. He then went to work and has been free from any form of problem for years. His problem wasn’t the past, his low self esteem, his feelings of worthlessness. His problem was it was easier to blame all of that than to allow himself to become the new Creation Christ called him to be. To put away the past to live for the future, knowing nothing on this earth can effect his position in Christ. That God loved him and thought him special enough that He willingly gave His only begotten Son to die for Him. Will this work for everyone? Not that quickly probably in most cases but if we stop trying to excuse behavior by putting a name to it, by pointing to the past, and in effect validating it and start pointing to the future and the victory we have in Christ Jesus we would have a lot more healthier people in the church than we do today. Is it that simple not always, but unless we forget all the pyscho-babble and hold tightly to 2 Cor. 5:17 we will never realize the worth esteemed to us through Jesus Christ. EdB |
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7 | How high? How low? How? | Rom 12:3 | Aixen7z4 | 97717 | ||
You did a good job there. Your diagnosis and your prescription were right on. You observation is also keen, that "it is not that simple always". | ||||||
8 | How high? How low? How? | Rom 12:3 | EdB | 97718 | ||
Aixen7z4 Thanks, and yes it is not always that easy or quick. But the Christian community has got to stop letting the world define us and start getting into the Bible and finding out how God defines us. Our worth, our being, our purpose are defined by, and established in God. Until one realizes the value God places on us we have a hard time justifing ourselves. EdB |
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