Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest, they don’t have storerooms or barns, but God feeds them. And you are worth much more than birds Luke 12:24
I had a discussion recently with a client where we discussed her sense of how she loves herself and how she sees herself. This client is very insightful, and she could see the difference between self-worth and self-esteem.
We concluded that self-esteem is often based upon how others see us, while a sense of self- worth is more an internal self-evaluation. Valuing ourselves is about how much we can trust ourselves to keep promises to ourselves. It is more about character than performance. If we keep promises to ourselves- to do the right things, maintain disciplines, adhere to our values- our sense of self-worth improves.
Being esteemed by others is important and valuable, but it does not dictate our worth. Indeed, we have worth simply by being created in the image of God. But our own sense of worth is determined by how well we keep those promises to ourselves.
Prayer: Lord, you have made us in your image. What a marvelous and boggling concept that is! Amen
Reflections of a Counselor 