Monday Read: The Lie of Self-Esteem

"You are fearfully and wonderfully made," we tell struggling teenagers, quoting Psalm 139:14 as if David were writing a modern self-help book. "God doesn't make junk," we declare to anyone battling insecurity. These statements contain truth, but we've twisted them into something David never intended—a theology of self-esteem that makes human worth the foundation of the gospel rather than its result. The psalm isn't about feeling good about yourself; it's about marveling at God's creative power and intimate knowledge of every human being.

The self-esteem movement promised to solve humanity's problems by teaching people to love themselves more. Instead, it created generations of narcissists who measure their worth by their feelings, demand affirmation as a right, and crumble when criticized. We've raised children to believe they're inherently wonderful rather than desperately needy, naturally good rather than born in sin, entitled to happiness rather than called to holiness. The result isn't confident believers but fragile individuals who can't handle the reality of their own brokenness.

Scripture takes a radically different approach to human worth. We're not valuable because we're naturally wonderful—we're valuable because God chose to love us despite our sin. "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Our worth isn't inherent; it's assigned by God's grace. Jeremiah understood this when he wrote, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9). Jesus echoed this when he said, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone" (Mark 10:18).

True biblical self-understanding begins with accurate self-assessment: we are broken image-bearers, loved by God but corrupted by sin, capable of great evil but redeemed by grace. This isn't self-hatred—it's honest acknowledgment of our condition that makes God's love truly amazing. When we understand how desperate our need is, grace becomes precious rather than presumed, forgiveness becomes miraculous rather than expected, and God's love becomes overwhelming rather than obvious.

The cure for low self-esteem isn't higher self-esteem—it's God-esteem. When we stop trying to convince ourselves that we're naturally wonderful and start marveling that God loves us anyway, we find the security that no amount of positive self-talk can provide. The question isn't whether you think you're valuable, but whether you believe God's declaration that you're worth the blood of his Son.