Is Low Self Esteem Really the Problem?

In today's world with it's rising crime, violence, drug abuse and general moral decay; we often here it tooted that low self esteem is the problem.
Is that so? Really?

Could there be some subtle but unbalanced interpretation of the word esteem at play here?

The Concise Oxford Dictionary (1964) defines esteem as:- v.t.& n. 1.think highly of; consider,as I shall~it (as) a favour. 2.n. Favourable opinion, regard. respect.

From this definition we see that there comes the word respect. While there are times when esteem and respect could be considered synonymous, this is not necessarily the case.

Let us consider for instance the young person who thinks so highly (esteem) of himself and his driving ability that he hoons through city streets at a great rate of knots endangering both himself and others.

On the one hand he has great self esteem, he is king of the road, his peers no doubt applaud his antics thereby increasing his esteem.

On the other hand he has no respect for his own safety. No respect for the feelings of his family should he maim or kill himself or others. He certainly has no respect for the right of other drivers to be able to use the roads safely. His self esteem is so great he considers it the responsibility of others to get out of his way. He is completely lawless.

He has a great measure of self esteem but no self respect.

Esteem was not something that we were supposed to bestow on ourselves, but rather on others.

Philippians 2:3 doing nothing according to party spirit or self-glory, but in humility, esteeming one another as surpassing themselves;

We are told in the above quote from the New Testament, that we are to have humility not high self esteem. Does this mean we are not to have self respect.

Let me give one more example of high self esteem coupled with a marked lack of self respect.

Three young women (18-20 yrs) were walking up the main street of a CBD. One of these was proudly telling the others how at 14 yrs old she had slept with a 25yr old. Her immediate audience was oohing, ah'ing and wowing. This obviously gave the young woman in question great stature in their warped thinking.

Her self esteem was being fed but where was the self respect?

The conversation showed, no respect for the law - it is illegal for girls to have sex under 16yrs old. No respect for her parents, who may well have been both ashamed and embarrassed by this public declaration of their daughters sexual exploits.No respect for herself in throwing herself at a 25 yr old and others and allowing them to treat her as an object of their pleasure. No respect for her body that she had risked subjecting to disease.

NO RESPECT but her SELF ESTEEM among her peers was fed to the MAX.

I ask this question. If a person has no self respect how can they possibly have respect and consideration for others?

Consider the taggers some of them are very talented artists, they gain much esteem from their peers by spray painting other peoples property.

The victim however might not be so amused to find his wall fence or shop having been used as a canvas. There is no respect in this for the rights of others. If these talented young people had self respect, they would use their talent in a respectful way.Their talent would be admired by many and their self esteem would be fed by others in a positive manner.

Scripture gives the following instruction.

Matthew 7:12 All things therefore whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye also unto them: for this is the law and the prophets

But is respect for others what we teach our children?

Schools now pander to the self esteem of the individual child. There are no winners, there are no losers, it's all a level playing field. Regardless of age or experience the opinion of the individual is pandered to. No one (including teachers) is allowed more respect than anyone else in any circumstance. Little Johnny must have his way or his self esteem will suffer. What utter nonsense!!!

Teach little Johnny to have respect for himself and he will develop a respect for life and respect for others, that does not depend on his self esteem being pandered to. If little Johnny loves and cares for himself, he will be able to love and care for others. Little Johnny will find it very difficult to have respect for others unless he first learns respect for himself.

He needs to understand the difference between self respect and self esteem.

Essentially the words, esteem and respect are only synonymous when we apply them to others. Applied to ourselves they can be very different things. Let us learn this subtle, yet very important difference between self-esteem and self-respect.

The time is now! To stop the focus on self esteem and start to focus on teaching our children self respect. Start a re-education programme NOW! Before it's too late and we are drowned in a cesspool of self indulgence.

Gal 5:14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Lev. 19:18

The Never Ending Cry!

Are you old enough to remember the days, when shops closed for the weekend. Pubs closed at 10pm (or even back to the "6 o'clock swill" [nz idiom]). Days when the good night kiwi came up on TV and told us all to go to bed, as TVNZ was closing down for the night.

Days when there was no internet, no cell phones or texting. It took six weeks to get communication back and forth from England. Those days when weekends were family time, sunday drives and picnics at the beach were still a multi-generational affair.

When a good many Christian people went to church on Sunday (they might have had the wrong day but sincerely went to worship their Creator albeit by the wrong name) to ask forgiveness for the weeks sins.

The days when seldom was heard today's never ending cry of "I'm bored"; "it's boring" or "that's boring".

Now churches are empty on Sunday and the shopping malls are full. Seven day a week shopping even on a public holiday.

What's that you say, public holiday? No such thing anymore.

Shopaholics madly rush to the never ending sales. Youngsters happy feeding countless dollars into games arcade machines. Teenagers hanging out, texting furiously all the while they engage in countless mindless activities.

With computers, internet, cellphones, electronic games, 24/7 access to TV, nightclubs open all hours, back to back movies, extreme sports, instant messaging, ipods,etc,etc. They complain they are "bored" and with boredom comes irritability.

Why? What is happening? Does it make sense that with all the extra gadgets and activities they have, that they should be more bored than previous generations?

If it's not fast, loud, aggresive, brightly coloured or so frightening it gives them an adrenal rush, then it seems "it" is boring. Whatever "it" is.

Even very young children are becoming angry, moody and very impatient. Often playing out the characters of "children's" fast moving, loud, aggresive cartoons.

The under 25's seem increasingly unable to focus on anything that takes, time, patience, creativity and perseverance. Could it be that constant searing of the brain with electronic pixels, noise, and aggresive content is the cause of the problem?

Have electronic games, TV programmes and Internet activities, bombarding the brain with innumerable pixels per second; created an inability to focus on anything that takes more than 30seconds to pass through their vision?

With this over stimulation of the cerebral cortex; is it possible that the youth of our nations are suffering a paradoxical atrophy of the mind? Which in turn is causing them an inablity to focus. Rendering them emotionally unstable, in a constant state of anxiety and tension.


Gal 5:22 - 23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustworthiness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no Torah.

Let us all endeavour to reduce the time we spend being bombarded by electronics.

Let us all encourage the independant youth to, reduce the time they spend plugged-in and to avoid the violent games and programmes. Helping them to get back to physical activities that will be healthy and productive.

Further more, let us all decide to never allow the youngest members to develop the habit in the first place.

It is time to redeem the time, we see what it has done to todays teenagers -let it not be so with tomorrow's. Unplug them NOW!

Rest For The Earth.

We hear a lot about 'saving the planet'. Use less water, plant trees,
reduce carbon emmisions, reduce waste etc,etc.

Will these things be enough? Do we let the earth rest? Should we let the earth rest?

If we follow our Creator's Scriptures (The Bible) the handbook for life; we will
find that we should indeed let the earth rest.

Lev 25:3 'Six years you sow your field, and six years you prune
your vineyard, and gather in its fruit,
Lev 25:4 but in the seventh year the land is to have a Sabbath of rest,
a Sabbath to יהוה. Do not sow your field and do not prune your vineyard.

Have we, ever so clever human beings, followed this instruction?
A few individuals here and there may have; but 'no', largely we have
done the opposite.

We have tried to produce bigger crops and gain greater profit.

We have poured upon the earth fertiliser, herbicides, pestacides and countless
other chemicals. All in order that we may keep the earth producing endlessly,
with minimum effort for maximum profit.

As occupiers of the earth we have suffocated the land with endless layers of tarmac
and concrete. Pillaged land and sea for everthing from coal and gold to oil.
All for our convenience.

Consider the countless gallons of blood that have been shed.

Wars, terrorism, murders and assaults. How many gallons of blood has the earth
had to absorb? I don't know, too many?

Is it any wonder then that we have a planet crying out for rest and peace?
That we have a planet whose ecology is in such turmoil and disorder?

There is dispute over which year is Yahuah's Land Sabbath.
Still could we not at least show willing; some believe that Yahuah's land
Sabbath starts at the month of Abib this year.

Let us all decide to make 2009 the year we let the land have her rest.

Is it important to our Creator that the land Sabbath is observed?

It sure is. So is peace on earth. Let's take a look at what will happen
in the end.

Rev 11:18 "And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath has come,
and the time of the dead to be judged, and to give the reward to Your
servants the prophets and to the set-apart ones, and to those who
fear Your Name, small and great,
and to destroy those who destroy the earth."

Let's not be among those destroyed for destroying the earth.

Let us all be blessed by allowing the earth to have her Sabbath,
her rest. It is long overdue.