An Unshakeable Foundation
Building Self Esteem from Matthew 7:25-27
1. Need for a firm foundation
Why our Security needs to come from God
" 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds
blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall,
because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone
who hears these words of mine and does not put them
into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew
and beat against that house, and it fell with a great clash."
So maybe your not placing your security in God. What things in your life might you be placing your security in? Well a big one, especially for women, is placing your security in your spouse or significant other or even a crush. It is very common for us as human beings to put our security in things we love and cherish. Many people don't think they can be happy unless they have a boyfriend or girlfriend, or unless they're married, so they go out into their life and get one. And guess what? They
Un-Solid Foundations:
2. Why you should repair your Self-Esteem
for you, and people in exchange for your life."
3. How to repair low Self-Esteem
Recognize/Identify Negative Talk
Everyday, when you look at yourself in the mirror, or look at your less than supermodel legs, (or guys: your less than 'built' arms) what do you think to yourself?? I'm fat? I'm not muscular enough? Most people do. DON'T. . . why? Because the devil puts those thoughts into your head, and tells you to believe them so you'll suffer thinking you have to be better than what you are and so you will take Jesus’s death and God’s love for you for granted.
So so so soooo many times I have looked into the mirror and thought I was skinny enough, or tan enough, or that my hair wasn't silky and shiny enough. You know what? It doesn't matter. Truly...it doesn't. Yes, you should be healthy, and yes, you probably should have good hygiene. I'm not saying that you should never want to look good or shouldn't look at yourself and say "I don't like my hair color, I want to dye my hair". I'm saying that you shouldn't allow what you look like to control and terrorize your entire life. Not being as skinny or muscular as the next person should not bring you down...if it does you are listening to someone else besides God and besides you, and you are allowing yourself to be unhappy. You do not have to allow these thoughts. Tell yourself you are perfect. Personally, if something is less than perfect with me on the outside, and it starts bringing me down, I think of something that is beautiful about me on the inside...something I do for others or a part of my personality that is wonderful. To me, being beautiful and a wonderful woman is more important to me than looking like a Victoria Secret model.
2. Don't allow yourself to listen to the devil!!
3. Choose God's words over the Devil's lies- you are
beautiful and God loves you, don't listen to someone
who despises and hates all things Godly...aka: YOU!
4. Fill your voids with Scripture and Worship
Job 11:18
Psalm 48
-Matthew 7: 25-27
Of course, this is metaphorical, as is almost all of the bible. In case you have trouble understanding metaphorical things, I'll break this verse down. Basically, God is warning us. He loves us, and so He tells us what to do and not what to do so we won't get hurt, not because He wants us to be his mindless slaves like some people would dare to argue. Duh- if He wanted that then why would've He given us our own free will? In these three verses, God is telling us that unless our security is totally placed upon Him, we will continue to be hurt and let down by anything else we are 'filling the void' with to make us happy. He talks about the house in the storm, the first house in verse 25 has a solid foundation, and in that horrible storm it is not broken down; the second house described in verse 27, has a weak and unstable foundation, and in that horrible storm it is broken down because what it was built upon was not strong enough to support it in times of trouble. In these two verses God is trying to explain to you why you need your security to be in Him. You are the House, and this sometimes crappy earthly life is the storm. If you have a solid foundation (God), that will never let you down, in times of sadness, trouble, confusion, anger you will always have something to hold you up and keep you from totally falling apart. If you have a weak and wavering foundation, in those times of struggle, you will be let down by that foundation and fall apart. So God tells us: But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. In other words, He has told you this- that He can be your only solid foundation, and if you have heard this, and continue to build your foundation on something unsolid, you are just hurting yourself.
What are un-solid foundations?
So maybe your not placing your security in God. What things in your life might you be placing your security in? Well a big one, especially for women, is placing your security in your spouse or significant other or even a crush. It is very common for us as human beings to put our security in things we love and cherish. Many people don't think they can be happy unless they have a boyfriend or girlfriend, or unless they're married, so they go out into their life and get one. And guess what? They
wake up one morning and realize that their not as happy as they thought they would be. When things are going good with your spouse, your happy, but when you are fighting or he/she is having a bad day and doesn't feel like being very friendly, your whole day and mood is completely upset too. Your 'foundation' has let you down. That is why it's sooo important to place your security in something/someone (god) who will always be there for you...whenever you need Him. There are many other things you may be placing your security in. Take time to watch yourself, many people never realize they are trusting in other things, besides God, to make them happy. What things in your life make you very happy if you have them, but if you don't, you feel unhappy, even depressed or angry?
Un-Solid Foundations:
Money, spouse, significant others, material items: house, car, clothes, shoes, etc; how your body looks (not necessarily your weight, because we should be healthy, but how you compare to our nation’s idea of beauty), popularity, amount of friends, your privileges (mostly for teens: how often and late you are allowed out, rules, curfews), and many other things. Literally everything except for God and the Holy Spirit themselves. There are many, many more things in your life that are un-solid foundations. Anything that is not God is an un-solid foundation and will hurt you, because things of this world will always fail us,…always. They aren’t perfect.
2. Why you should repair your Self-Esteem
What you are worth and why loving yourself is necessary to praising God
"Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life."
Isaiah 43: 4-5
God gave other nations to Persia in exchange for returning the Jews to their homeland. He gave up others, so that His people would live. In the New Testament, God sends His one and only Son to Earth. Jesus lived a perfect life, He did not sin, He was only worthy of God’s anger for He was righteous. But . . . because God loved us so much He treated His son as though he were a sinner so that He could treat us as if we were righteous. He allowed Jesus to be killed, He treated Jesus in anger, as though He were a sinner; so that never again would we be treated as such. Although the verse above is in the Old Testament, it clearly demonstrates the enourmous love God has for us. In the Old Testament, God gave other nations for His people; but in the New Testament, He gave His Son for our life. God loves you more than you will ever be able to imagine, so don't you owe it to Him to love yourself just as much? What are you saying to God when you dislike yourself . . . That He was wrong? That you weren’t worth His son’s death? The most perfect form of Worship we can do is to love our selves as God loves us.
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” ~2 Corinthians 5:21
Recognize/Identify Negative Talk
Everyday, when you look at yourself in the mirror, or look at your less than supermodel legs, (or guys: your less than 'built' arms) what do you think to yourself?? I'm fat? I'm not muscular enough? Most people do. DON'T. . . why? Because the devil puts those thoughts into your head, and tells you to believe them so you'll suffer thinking you have to be better than what you are and so you will take Jesus’s death and God’s love for you for granted.
So so so soooo many times I have looked into the mirror and thought I was skinny enough, or tan enough, or that my hair wasn't silky and shiny enough. You know what? It doesn't matter. Truly...it doesn't. Yes, you should be healthy, and yes, you probably should have good hygiene. I'm not saying that you should never want to look good or shouldn't look at yourself and say "I don't like my hair color, I want to dye my hair". I'm saying that you shouldn't allow what you look like to control and terrorize your entire life. Not being as skinny or muscular as the next person should not bring you down...if it does you are listening to someone else besides God and besides you, and you are allowing yourself to be unhappy. You do not have to allow these thoughts. Tell yourself you are perfect. Personally, if something is less than perfect with me on the outside, and it starts bringing me down, I think of something that is beautiful about me on the inside...something I do for others or a part of my personality that is wonderful. To me, being beautiful and a wonderful woman is more important to me than looking like a Victoria Secret model.
Remember and practice these things:
1. Recognize and Identify the Negative talk2. Don't allow yourself to listen to the devil!!
3. Choose God's words over the Devil's lies- you are
beautiful and God loves you, don't listen to someone
who despises and hates all things Godly...aka: YOU!
4. Fill your voids with Scripture and Worship
Remember that God can be the only thing you place your security on, and that He should be the only one you listen to when determining what kind of person you truly are!! You are beautiful!!
Suggested Reading:
Joshua 1:6
2 Sam 22: 33-34Job 11:18
Psalm 48
