Signs of Poor Self-Esteem

He lifted me out of the pit of despair… He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. Psalm 40:2 (NLT)

How can you know when you’re holding a faulty view of yourself? Today let’s cover a few signs.

Do you doubt that God loves you or wants to bless your life? Or do you fear change? People with poor self-esteem often crave security because change brings the risk of getting hurt or failing. Even positive change is viewed as a threat to them because of their negative view of themselves and the world.

Do you engage in self-destructive behaviour? Abusing drugs and alcohol, giving up on the verge of success or quitting when things are going too well can also be a sign of someone who doesn’t feel worthy of love.

Are you defensive and easily offended? People with low self-esteem don’t believe they’re special so they become overly hurt, even by constructive criticism. Because their self-esteem is tied to performance or physical appearance, criticizing these things lowers their self-esteem further.

Do you tend to keep relationships short-term and shallow? People with a poor self-image don’t allow people to get too close. They assume that they’re unlovable, so they put up a front and keep things superficial.

If you answered yes to any of these questions, keep reading this devotional every day. Over the next two days we’ll continue discussing how to develop a healthy self-esteem by getting into agreement with who God says you can be.