#31 - Rediscovering Your Worth in Times of Self-Doubt

0:04 I'm Dr. Cory Potter, and this is Mind and Faith Matters. Today on the podcast, I want to talk about something that I think many people may have some misconceptions about or may struggle with even as believers. I'm talking about self -worth, self -esteem, and issues of self -doubt. According to Drs. Tim Clinton, and run Hawkins, self -esteem refers to an inner sense of worthiness that gives a person resilience and resistance to attack or a criticism. So generally speaking this means that each person has a concept about their own self -worth which really may or may not be accurate and self -esteem is how the person feels about or evaluates their self -worth. Having healthy self -esteem as a believer does not mean that you have too much pride or you're too proudful or that you have this overblown sense of importance.

1:15 But the opposite that I want to talk about today, low self -esteem can lead to self -hate really and feelings of unworthiness. the inability to accept your own uniqueness and even a rejection of what God intends for you as a person to be. So low self -esteem and self -worth influence how we think, how we feel and act and often they keep us from living with the steady confidence that God intends for us to have. Psychology shows that self -doubt affecting self -esteem often grows from prolonged criticism, constant negative feedback, perfectionism and even comparing ourselves to others. Low self -esteem affects how we value ourselves and how we interpret our worth in relationships, at work and even in our faith. When someone experiences rejection or failure the brain tends to hold on to those moments more than affirming experiences interestingly enough and over time this can create a story inside of us that says I'm not enough and That story can shape our decisions or lack of decisions limit our courage and narrow what

2:47 we believe is possible for us to accomplish I Want you to take a moment and think about this What stories from your past might be shaping how you see yourself today? And I want to take it a step further. Self -doubt can lead to fear. The fear of failure or of not being capable or disappointing God. And it can prevent us from taking a step forward in whatever we're trying to do or be. The mind can overanalyze and anticipate rejection or embarrassment, and the result oftentimes is inaction. And in the counseling room, this is sometimes called avoidance behavior or avoidant behavior. A person may avoid opportunities or relationships, not because they lack ability, but because they fear confirming inner beliefs of inadequacy and they don't want that. Spiritually that fear can make it difficult to trust God fully and the Bible speaks clearly about fear and doubt. In Deuteronomy for example chapter 31 verse 6 the Bible says be strong and courageous.

4:14 Do not be afraid or terrified because of them for the Lord your God goes with you. Joshua 1 9 reminds us be strong and courageous do not be afraid do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go so these passages reassure us that courage comes from knowing God is present think about this what is one area of your life where you need to be strong and courageous So our sense of worth begins early in life As I said criticism comparison or neglect can influence how we see ourselves and Old voices of judgment that may no longer be in our life can continue to echo long after Whether it's childhood or earlier in your adult life experiences of failure rejection reinforce these beliefs and we may protect ourselves from disappointment instead of trusting the growth that is possible or that even has occurred. Spiritually, this is where the enemy works hardest. Scripture

5:46 calls Satan the accuser and those quiet accusations can sound like our own thoughts. His goal is to make us doubt what God says about us and to silence the confidence that comes from God. I want you to ask yourself, whose voice have you been listening to the most lately? The critic or the creator? Now remember, low self -esteem is a persistent sense that your value or worth is limited. Psychology describes it as a distorted self -image that filters successes through feelings of inadequacy. Spiritually, it is forgetting that your value was established when Christ gave his life for you. Low self -esteem can appear in many ways or show up as over -apologizing in our lives. avoiding responsibility, avoiding confrontation, and constantly seeking approval even from places that we won't get it. And it can also lead to exhaustion because when you feel you're not enough, you continue to strive to prove your worth. And both faith and psychology

7:21 teach that healing begins when we replace lies with truth. So rebuilding healthy self -esteem requires intentional daily or consistent practice. It may require some personal work with a qualified therapist who can help Christians and others really who have a damaged or painful sense of their worth. But for Christians, this therapy can help them to find God's perspective on their worth or significance. So I want to talk about some goals of therapy that you might want to consider when we combine psychology and faith.

8:11 One of the first goals is to correct these false beliefs. And there's ways that a counselor can help. First, They're going to help you to name the negative thoughts. When self -doubt or low self -esteem appears in thoughts, you want to write it down. Seeing it on paper makes it easier to evaluate. And ask yourself, is this true? And is this what God says about me? And likely it's not. So you want to replace that. with truth and so for every negative thought you can learn to write a counter statement that's rooted in Scripture or fact. For example, I will fail can become I can take the next step because God goes with me as we said in Deuteronomy 31 verse 6.

9:15 Next in therapy working on your self -esteem, you can learn to develop an accurate assessment of your strengths, your gifts, like your giftings as a person, your talents, your significance, and your potential, as well as developing an assessment of what your weaknesses really are, because we do have weaknesses, and that's okay. So, a next... goal would be to find ways to get over these distortions. I would also say a goal would be to find healing from these deep relational wounds. We can't carry them on with us. So many times the potential of a healthy relationship in the future or present is halted by these deep relational wounds from our past. And God can help us to forgive and find that deep healing.

10:26 Another goal would be to adapt your perspective on your own self -worth by reading God's Word to find God's perspective. And this happens through studying scripture, reflecting on it after you just read it and letting it shape your self -talk that you're now paying attention to and writing down and challenging those negative thoughts. You can use scripture verses like Philippians 4 .13 or Joshua 1 .9 as examples that remind you of your capability and God's presence with you. Another goal of therapy would be to seek supportive and healthy relationships. We want to spend time with people who encourage our growth, honesty, and faith. And we want to choose relationships that remind us of our worth in God's eyes rather than those that reinforce self -doubt. As you apply these goals and work through self -doubt and low self -esteem, and even self -worth in therapy, you want to keep in mind that growth is gradual. And when you reflect on scripture, prayer, and the other things that you're doing,

11:58 it can only take root through consistent action. And so you want to ask yourself, What step of faith is waiting on my courage right now? What do I need to do next? And if self -doubt or low self -esteem has been holding you back, remember your self -worth and strength are secure in Christ and scriptures will give us a clear picture of our worth in God's eyes. So, I want to finish up today with some Bible verses that remind us of what God wants of us related to this topic.

12:44 First, God wants you to see yourself through His eyes as an image bearer with infinite worth. In Genesis, God said, or the Bible says, so God created mankind in His own image. in the image of God he created them male and female he created them God saw all that he made and it was very good that's Genesis chapter 1 verses 26 and 27 and verse 31 next I want you to know that God wants you to see yourself through his eyes as precious and honored in his sight and this comes from Isaiah chapter 43 verse 4 Where the Bible says you are precious and honored in my sight God wants you to see yourself through his eyes as his beloved child too and 1st John chapter 3 verse 1 See what great love the father has lavished upon us that we should be called children of God and that is what we are and God wants you to know that you are fully accepted in Christ But it's not due to your performance or what you've proven, but due to His grace. In Ephesians chapter 1 verse 6, the Bible says He made us accepted in the Beloved. He's not condemning you. So in Psalm 94 verse 14, the Bible says

14:19 the Lord will not reject His people. He will not abandon His special possession. Next, I think it's important to know that God understands the pain of being devalued and held in low self -esteem. So the all -knowing God understands because he sees people reject him every day. But Isaiah 53 verse 3 in particular says, He, Jesus, was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering and familiar with pain. like one from whom people hide their faces. He was despised and we held him in low self -esteem. But I also want you to know the Bible says God offers healing from past pain, guilt, and shame. Psalm 30 verse 2 says, We can call on God when we're weary, when we feel any certain way about ourselves. And the Bible says that God wants you to forgive those who hurt you and led you to feel worthless in the first place. That, in therapy, can take a lot of work. Colossians chapter 3 verse 13

15:49 says, if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Next I want you to know that God wants you to encourage others who do have low self -esteem. In Ephesians chapter 4 verse 29 the Bible says let everything you say be good and helpful so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Next I'll say that God wants you to look to him and his word to find your true worth as I mentioned in the goals of therapy Psalm 119 verse 114 says you are my refuge and my shield Your word is my source of hope So today I want you to think through these scriptures and hopefully you can have the ability to go back and listen to them again and look them up for yourself and highlight them or maybe put them on some cards or in a journal so that you can see what God says and what God wants from you. I know that one episode of my podcast is not going to change everything for you but I also want you to know that I'm thankful that you're here at Mind and Faith Matters and if this episode has encouraged you I want

17:22 you to share it with someone who might need the reminder that their worth and strength come from God. And he's so interested in us knowing who he is and how he views us. So until next time, I want you to take care of your mind and your faith. God bless and have a great day.