Self-Esteem Seminar

Halfway through the day looking at self-esteem and I'm struck by a number of things. Firstly, the theological framework of our understanding of self-esteem needs to be strengthened. It's very easy to get caught up in a framework that owes more to psychological interpretations than it does to a thorough Biblical understanding of self.

The second thing, which actually follows from the first, is the question of the place of sin in our self-understanding. Is it not possible that at times our self-esteem is rather dependent upon avoiding a sense of responsibility for our sin? Or maybe it's a case that if we have healthy self-esteem then we are better able to understand the nature of sin and what we are to do about it. In other words healthy self-esteem leads us to confession and contrition.

Thirdly it seems to me that self-esteem is about how we process what happens to us, rather than what actually happens. The good news that if we learn low self-esteem (or rather generate low self-esteem through the things we learn), through events and attitudes of others etc, then we can surely unlearn it as we embrace the truth of God's deep, compassionate and saving love for us.

Anyway, it's an interesting day so far, and there are many questions yet to answer.