The story is told of a little boy being overheard talking to himself as he strode through his backyard, baseball cap in place and toting a ball and bat. “I’m the greatest baseball player in the world” he said proudly. Then he tossed the ball in the air, swung and missed. Undaunted, he picked up the ball, threw it into the air and said”I’m the greatest player ever!” He swung at the ball again, and again he missed. He paused a moment to examine bat and ball carefully. Then once again he threw the ball into the air and said “I’m the greatest baseball player who ever lived.” He swung the bat hard and again missed the ball. “Wow!” he exclaimed. “What a pitcher!”
That boy felt good about who he was, and with unwavering self-confidence believed in himself.
Dr. James Dobson has said that the greatest gift parents can give their children is a healthy self-esteem. He states that if children don’t think positively about themselves, they will be unmotivated, lacking energy and enthusiasm for life. He believes that it is critical for children, with their emerging personality, to gain a strong sense of self-worth and self-confidence.
I believe this to be true, but I also believe that this same sense of self-worth is critical for our emotional health and happiness throughout life, and especially during the latter years of life. As children, our sense of self-worth comes first from parents who constantly affirm who we are and what we accomplish. Then throughout every stage of life that follows, our sense of self-worth is sustained by frequent affirmation from those around us.
However, it is equally important if not more so, to regularly find ways to affirm our self-worth. When we acknowledge our worth as children of God, we acknowledge and honor God. Self-worth means self-respect, and both are rooted in who we are as God’s special and unique children.
The apostle Paul writes “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Romans 8:14-17).
And John writes in his first letter “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1).
God condemns foolish pride, but self-worth that flows from a knowledge of our precious value as a child of the all-knowing and all-loving Father God glorifies the God who created us.
On the other hand, the loss of self-worth is tragic. Losing one’s sense of self-worth can shake our faith in God. Godly self-worth is the gift God implanted in us when he created us in our mother’s womb, and losing it is like losing God. And so, rediscovering this gracious gift of self-worth is like finding God again, for it is the heart-beat of human dignity.
Self-worth and self-confidence generally grows stronger as we age and mature, because as adults we find purpose and a sense of self-worth through what we “do” – that is, our work and achievements.
Furthermore, our society generally measures our worth by what we “do” rather than on “who” we are. That is, we are valuable if we are doing something important and the greater the importance the greater our value. And so we tend to base our self-worth on our “doing” rather than on our “being.” This is contrary to the way God measures our value.
For that reason I think it is important for us to frequently rediscover and reaffirm our worth based on “who we are” as unique human beings, children of God whom he most dearly loves. And it is equally important that we be more diligent in verbally affirming those with whom we together live, work and worship.
We must not, we dare not give up the struggle to maintain our own sense of self-worth, nor should we ever diminish our efforts to encourage and enhance the self-worth of others, both the young and the aging, for as long as God gives them a heart-beat.
“How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand – when I awake, I am still with you.” (Psalm 139:17-18).
“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – February 12, 2020
Ray M. Geigley
Healing Rays of Righteousness 
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