Self-Esteem Affects Our Joy

Self-Esteem Affects Our Joy

As a child, I didn’t fit in with the children around me. Those feelings of insecurity gnawed at my fragile self-esteem. Why couldn’t I be like others, who seemed so self-assured and at ease?

Have you ever felt this way? Such insecurities may have robbed you of some of the joy of childhood, just as they did me. They possibly still plague you.

Becoming a joyful person involves looking inside and understanding oneself. It means dealing with destructive attitudes (which rob us of joy), then building healthy attitudes. In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus spoke of three relationships: with God, others, and ourselves. He said each must be bathed in love. Each is necessary for our joy to be full.

We’ve already looked at our relationship with the Lord and with others. Now let’s consider how our relationship to ourselves determines our joy. Here are three important steps that lead us to experience the full joy Jesus intended.

Accept yourself and others as God’s unique creations. The apostles were radically different from each other. Thomas—pessimistic. James and John—enthusiastic, energetic, and eager to gain status. Peter—sometimes exuberant and sometimes in the dumps. Yet the Lord created and chose each one.

Each of us is different, and we express our joy differently. Some of us radiate joy like the sun. We’re naturally bubbly and look on the bright side of things. Others of us are quieter and more subdued, keeping our feelings to ourselves. We may think we don’t have as much joy as others because it doesn’t show as much. The good news is that God made each of us to experience joy in our own unique ways. Quiet, subtle joy can be as real and powerful as exploding exuberance. We shouldn’t condemn anyone, including ourselves, as unspiritual just because we don’t express joy like others.

Whatever our temperament, each of us has the same potential for having Christ’s joy. I’m glad Jesus didn’t put any qualifiers in John 16:24. It doesn’t take a gushing personality to have complete joy!

You can study the other two steps, plus lots more in Keys to Joy.

Excerpted from Keys to Joy: How to Unlock God’s Gift of Lasting Happiness

Blessings on you,

Gaylyn Williams, co-author of The Surprising Joy of Exploring God’s Heart: A Daily Adventure with 365 of His Names  and All Stressed Up and Everywhere to Go, Solutions to De-Stressing Your Life, Recover Your Sanity

© 2019 Relationship Resources, Inc.