“I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.”
The Bible is pretty clear that pride isn't a good quality for someone who follows Christ. Pride is related to arrogance, self-righteousness, and an inflated opinion of oneself. Pride, if left unchecked, can lead to an existence independent of God (Proverbs 3:34; Psalm 10:4). If we put our sense of self-worth solely in our own accomplishments, we're essentially creating an idol out of our own inflated sense of esteem.
On the other side of the spectrum is low self-esteem—finding little to no worth in ourselves at all. While the Bible does affirm that we are all sinful creatures (1 John 1:8), that does not mean we're worthless. We are utterly beloved by God and highly valued as His masterpieces of creative art.
Our "goodness" comes from being treasured by God (John 17:23) and totally forgiven of sin (John 3:16; Romans 5:8). Once we've accepted the gift of salvation through Jesus, there's nothing we can do to nullify these facts (Galatians 2:16; Romans 6:23).
The Value of Humility
“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.”
Rather than devaluing ourselves, we can practice a healthy attitude of humility (Colossians 3:12). Being humble isn't about hating ourselves or thinking we're worthless. We're valuable because of the high price God paid for us—sacrificing the life of His Son, Jesus, so that we could have freedom from the burden of sin and have eternal life with our Creator (John 3:16; John 8:12).
Jesus told a parable about two men who went to pray at a temple with two different attitudes—one self-righteous (a religious leader) and one very humble (a tax collector) (Luke 18:9–14). The religious leader saw himself as perfect and religiously devout. In his prayer, he said, "Thank you, God, that I'm not like that tax collector! I do everything I'm supposed to and give 10% of my income to the church."
The tax collector, on the other hand, stood at a distance from the altar and didn't even dare look toward the heavens. He cried out to God in sorrow, "Please be merciful to me, for I'm a sinner." He knew he was guilty before God and asked for His mercy. Jesus taught that it was the tax collector who was justified before God, because those who are humble will be praised, while those who praise themselves will be humbled (Luke 18:14).
Jesus' Example of Humility
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
An examination of Jesus' life reveals what true humility is. His heart's motives were aligned with God's, and His actions made that apparent. Jesus never sought the good of Himself, but the good of others and to glorify God the Father (Matthew 20:28).
That's the kind of humility we ought to strive for too—confidently giving all the glory to God (Psalm 16:2; 1 Corinthians 10:31). This is why Jesus talks about how to follow Him is to "deny ourselves" (Matthew 16:24) and our need for personal glory.
Being humble means that we understand our true value in God's eyes and, therefore, we don't require constant ego-feeding through others' approval (Colossians 3:23-24). Being humble means we don't worry what others think of us because we know that God already thinks we're worthy of His care and love (Philippians 4:6). Being humble means that we're now free to build others up (1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 10:24).
Humility Not Low Self-Esteem
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.”
If you struggle with seeing your own self-worth, please talk to God and seek encouragement and help from your loved ones. You are worthy of being loved, worthy of being valued, worthy of being included. Our mistakes, our failures, and our sin don't take away our worth or value in any way.
You're a celebration of God's creativity and design (Psalm 139:13-16). You're made in God's image (Genesis 2:7). God found you worthy of existing—even before you were born. He loves you intensely and unconditionally (Romans 5:6-8) and has given you a unique purpose and calling (2 Thessalonians 1:11).
“We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”