by Ali Koomen

Created on: February 21, 2010   Last Updated: February 23, 2010

What is the value of self-esteem?  How is it possible to have self-esteem without being boastful or narcissistic?  How can a good Christian have healthy self-esteem if the Bible tells us repeatedly that we must be humble?

The Bible does not specifically say that we must love ourselves.  Perhaps this is because pride was considered the worst of the seven deadly sins.  The Bible constantly says that we must be not be boastful, that we should at all times express humility.  To be told that we must love ourselves would almost seem the opposite of what it had already told us not to do—to be prideful.  

 It could be that a direct mention of loving ourselves was left out of the Bible simply because it is assumed that we love our own self, that it was omitted because self-love goes without saying.  God gave us the ability to love ourselves innately, without even thinking about it.  Could it be that this ‘oversight’ is now missed simply because the ability to love ourselves has eroded over the ages?  We are constantly bombarded through advertisements, movies, television and the internet with words and visions that can chip away at self-esteem.  We’re besieged with the ideas that we are not skinny enough, not pretty enough, not smart enough. Tell a person consistently told that he’s fat, ugly and stupid, eventually he will start to believe this.  And who could love someone like that?

 *If we have self esteem, it will be harder to be led astray.

It is extremely important for all Christians to have self-esteem, for if we don’t have respect for ourselves and our bodies, we can be easily led down slippery slopes.  If we don’t love ourselves, it’s very easy to think that no one loves us. If no one loves us, then there’s no one to worry or care about what we do, and if that’s the case, why bother trying to do the right thing?  Without self-esteem, it’s harder to stay on the straight and narrow path. 

A young woman with a bad body image (true or imagined) may be very loose with her sexual behaviors.  If she thinks she’s that no one would ever want her, she will do whatever is asked of her by the first man who shows any interest.  Without proper self-esteem, she’ll equate his actions with love.  

A young man with little self-esteem is an easy target for gangs.  If he feels that no one

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