We Hold These Truths to Be Self-evident ...

I have often been told I need greater self-esteem, but when I look at those whose self-esteem is supposedly healthy, I have to wonder where it comes from. Are they really as wonderful as they seem to believe? Perhaps I underestimate myself? Am I a pessimist, or merely a realist who doesn't like the truth?

These questions point to some deeper ones. On what basis are we to have "self-esteem"? On what basis do we judge our own value? On what basis do we value anyone? How do we draw conclusions about people in general? How do we determine the value of anything? What ARE our values? Secular psychology has long maintained that positive self-esteem is both the necessary prerequisite and the inevitable product of good mental health. Lack of "positive" self-esteem is therefore seen as both a tragedy and a crippling handicap. Is it ever possible that a largely negative view of self is more appropriate? Does Scripture speak to this?

The reasons we value objects are relatively clear. Ultimately it is the rare and desirable character of an object or substance that determines its value. If it is rare but undesirable, we see its traits as accidents, flaws, or defects. If it is desirable but common, everyone may have it, but it is not generally considered valuable. The objects we truly value, and those that command the very highest prices, are both desirable and rare, loved, and irreplaceable.

When it comes to people on the other hand, we are loathe to admit that we don't consider everyone to be of equal value. After all, from the very beginning, our Declaration of Independence boldly stated, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal ..." It is considered the height of bigotry to state a belief that one person is somehow better, or worth more than another.  Ironically, while it may be socially unacceptable to say that one person is less valuable than another, we constantly demonstrate this unspoken conviction by our behavior. The author of the Declaration of Independence and many of its signers were slave owners. Nothing belies a statement about all men being created equal quite like owning a slave because he was born to a slave you already owned.

Today we may not own slaves, but we are hardly poster children for the philosophy of equality. Many try out, but not all make the cut. Many attend school, but not all receive the same grades. Many seek jobs, but not all find them, and among those who do, pay varies widely. Whether you look in Hollywood, Nashville, or New York City, there are stars and there are waiters. Companies have executives, the military has ranks ... Even the church has saints. Do you care who does your open heart surgery? How about your haircut? Can you think of someone you wouldn't want to date your little sister or your daughter? Of course you can. We may not speak it aloud, but our actions shout even if our mouths are silent.

The insistence on universally positive self-esteem arises largely from a philosophy that denies the existence of an absolute truth and replaces it with a belief that value (and values) are individual and relative. With no objective measure by which to judge oneself, this philosophy renders all "self-esteem" baseless -- a mere mental gymnastic -- instead of a meaningful basis for evaluation. If we are not all the same, what should lead us to value ourselves? Should we judge a person's worth by their paycheck, their grades, their popularity, or their credentials? If I have none of those things, am I worthless?

In direct contrast, Scripture offers not just one, but two objective measures on which to base our self-view. Even more significant, by one of these measures everyone is of equal value, and by means of the other we can make judgments useful for improving ourselves. God, in His infinite wisdom as our Creator knew both were essential and has provided for our every need. There is no question that every "poor, miserable sinner" is unimaginably precious to the Lord. God loved every one of us so much he was willing to sacrifice his only Son to save us. I don't love even one person enough to sacrifice even one of my sons, even on their worst day. That amazing love, that unbelievably high price, is the value our Lord puts on you, me, and even the "Chief of Sinners." There is nothing of greater value, and every single person is that valuable to God.

The universal value placed on us by Jesus and the universal demand for a baseless self-esteem are different because our inestimable value in God's sight says nothing whatsoever about us and everything about our Lord. We are not precious because of anything for which we can take credit, but solely because God, with a bottomless love, treasures the very lowest and basest of his creatures that much. Unlike secular psychology, we do not consider someone healthy only if they measure themselves generously with an elastic yardstick. Instead, we receive the gift of an entirely unmerited self-worth, then measure ourselves by the perfect One who created and loves us. Do we look good when judged by these standards? Of course not! But unlike the self-deception of a test designed to yield the answers we want to hear, measurement against God's Law gives true and useful information.

Put succinctly, the answer to pop psychology is entirely contained in two words: Law and Gospel. Are we taking stock of our merits? God's Law offers us an unparalleled mirror in which to see ourselves accurately. Are we searching for a reason to keep trying? To keep living? To get up in the morning? We can look to the cross and know in a concrete, profound way just how valuable we are. Law and Gospel also free us to look the worst of wretches in the eye and affirm their value without condoning their behavior. We can (and ought to) meet both those very real needs without either fact contradicting or undermining the other. We truly are treasured wrecks.

Sadly, this exquisite balance is lost on many, even those who claim to be Christians. As with any question of Law and Gospel, there are three types of errors: Law without Gospel, Gospel without Law, and Law and Gospel confounded. Those who focus on Gospel and neglect the Law lose both these tools. Without the Law, the price of our salvation is no longer an unimaginably precious sacrifice but a senseless, misguided tragedy. The value we see in that sacrifice varies directly with the need we see for it. Those who focus on the Law and neglect the Gospel stop seeing the value of their imperfect neighbors. Sooner or later, they, too, will need the Gospel, will need to know their worth, and not only will they have denied it to their neighbors, they will have lost it to themselves. Those who confound Law and Gospel may do the most damage of all. Perhaps they are convinced that God will only value them if they measure up, or maybe they will decay into a libertine philosophy not unlike their secular friends, but for them, as for the others, real self-esteem will become either pointless or impossible.

As with everything in God's design, when we, in our arrogance, try to "fix" it, we leave brokenness in our wake.

1 Corinthians 1:18-25