Today's Devotional

June 12, 2003

Subject:  The "I" Problem

Philippians 2:4 - "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."

"If you think you're God's gift, you're particularly offended if other people don't treat you that way. So you lash out or commit crimes or cut ethical corners to reassert your pre-eminence."

That was one of the lines out of a Times magazine article I read recently.  It demonstrates how we fixate on ourselves and for the first time now, psychologists are finding to be true what God wrote in the bible about self-esteem, namely that we should not be so consumed with "I" but also with others.  In the article, there is a retiring senator identified who seems to have an "I" problem.  Life seems to be all about what "he" did and there is no credit given to others.  The "I" problem causes you to only see yourself.

Self-esteem is an attempt to raise us up in our own eyes.  God on the other hand wants us humble so that He can mold us and guide us but that won't happen when we are trying to raise ourselves.  Remember it's not about us, but about what He can do through us.  

For those of you who have spent money seeing doctors who told you that your problem was self-esteem, perhaps you should get a refund.  Maybe low self-esteem is not such a bad thing.

Carlen