Genesis 1:26 (The Message)

“God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image,

make them reflecting our nature.”

Low self-esteem is a serious problem that can lead to other things. Its infecting people from all age groups and economic status. It doesn’t matter if they are in middle school or college, in government or a day laborer, it grasps its victims until it sucks all their true identity away. Even as believers, this spirit of low self-esteem can creep in from time to time. So how do we fight against it? What can we do to be released from its grasp? All of our answers are found in the Bible. God gave us the key to defeat this spirit. But in order to defeat this spirit, we must go back to the origin of man. For you see, we must get a glimpse of what God thinks of the first man and what’s his purpose is in order to see how He feels about us. When God decided to create man, He did so by forming him out of the Earth. He didn’t spoke man into being, He created him. And He said that He wanted man to bear His image and to reflect His nature.

That’s amazing! The Creator of the Universe wanted us to have His image and to have His nature. Talk about a lifter upper! Now, low self-esteem can along when man and woman sinned against God. Sin started to blur God’s image in us, to the point where you can’t even tell at times that you have His image. The further people drowned in sin, the faster His image blurred, but the devil lied to us. He told us that sin erased His image. Not so my friend! God’s image is in every human being.

When God created man, He printed His image and nature in man. It’s like when you look at a $20 bill, you know its a $20 bill because of the image that’s printed on it. You can crumple it up, but its value remains the same. You can step on it, but the value won’t go down on it. Maybe you have felt that people and your circumstances have stepped all over you or have crumpled you down, but let me tell you that your value has not gone down because you bear His image!! The thing with His print on us is that it can never be erased or wiped out.

The key to defeating low self-esteem is by accepting Jesus in your life and allowing Him to restore you back to your original design. Only God has the ability to clean you up, to bring out His image and nature in you.

My dear reader, your value is found only in God. It is at the restored state that you can show His image and nature. Now that you’ve been restored to the original, walk, talk and live like it. You were created to reflect His glory, don’t overlook the value He placed on you. God never wanted you to compare yourself to anyone else, that’s why He created everyone different! You are His image not anyone or anything else! When you begin to grasp this truth, there’s no way low self-esteem can have domain in your life. So, stop comparing yourself to others, God made you and everyone different. When you look at yourself, you’re suppose to see Jesus’ image. God will work with you until you’re finally restore. Just allow Him to work in you.

So the next time someone says, “Who do you look like?” You can say, “I look like my Daddy!” Remember, His printed image is in you. You are valuable because you bear His image and you were bought with the blood of Jesus. There’s no more room for low self-esteem. Learn to use your difference to make an impact on those around you. It doesn’t matter how much you’ve sinned against God, He can clean you up to get His image in you. Don’t allow the lies of the enemy to keep you from enjoying your God given life!

Filed under: Devotionals by Adilson Chacón