Self esteem-Understanding your uniqueness

The LORD gave me this message: “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations. (Jeremiah 1:4-5).

God created us in his image, set us apart and appointed us to different task for His glory.  We were all created for God’s glory which is our ultimate/general purpose. Also, each of us has a specific task (purpose) on earth which leads up to fulfilling our ultimate purpose.  Understanding who you are will help you perceive how unique you are and this will help boost your self-esteem.

Have you ever thought of answering these questions?

Who am I and what am I on earth for? The answer to these questions is a signpost to understanding your uniqueness.

The only way to know what a product is and its use is to ask the manufacturer of the product. A way of getting to the manufacturer of a product is to read the manufacturer’s manual which reflects the manufacturer’s reason for manufacturing a product and the use of the product. One manufacturer may manufacture different products with different uses but all the products must carry the manufacturer’s brand. So, what makes the product unique is the brand the products carry and the specific function of the product. For example, Samsung produces phones, televisions, fridges etc. If you want to purchase a unique item you do two things: You identity the product through its brand (manufacturers image/brand) and the specific function of the product. These two things make the product unique. That is why to purchase a technological appliance for communication, one will say I NEED A SAMSUNG PHONE or an INFINIX PHONE. We notice in describing the unique item, the manufacturer’s name comes first (SAMSUNG/ INFINIX) then the function (reason why it was created) of the product (PHONE).

As humans, we are all created unique and what makes us unique is portraying the identity our of creator and the purpose for which he created us. Your Identity in God our creator is primordial to understanding your uniqueness. (Please read more on identity in God Here). Furthermore, your specific purpose also helps you understand why you were created. Everyone was born into this world with a purpose to fulfill which should all lead to the ultimate purpose of glorifying God. When we understand these, we understand how unique we are which will help keep us away for envying others, living in broken or low esteem and help us appreciate our uniqueness as God’s creation.

Jeremiah was a prophet who heard from God and spoke to the people; Paul was an Apostle who preached the word of God; Phoebe was a servant in the church, a kind woman and a helper who supported Paul’s ministry. All these people mentioned above worked in specific task but all for God’s glory so there was no envy.

Let us get inspiration from this discussion between God and Moses in Exodus 3:10-12.

“So now, go. I(God) am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt. But Moses said to God, Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt? And God said, I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”

Moses seemingly had a low self-esteem as he did not see himself worthy of standing before Pharaoh and leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Nevertheless, from his discussion with God, it is clear that his identity with God was the first thing that had to boost his esteem, which made him courageous to carry out his specific purpose of liberating the Israelites from captivity all for God’s glory. The bible recounts the uniqueness of Moses through his identity in God and functioning in his specific purpose of liberating the Israelites, all for the ultimate purpose of glorifying God.

Sometimes, what gives us a sense of low self-esteem is because we look at what others do as better than what we do. It is important to know that everyone is created equal with specific work to do for God’s glory. For instance, If there are no shoe makers, even presidents may have to walk barefooted. So each one is unique and a society cannot function without the different strata of people in it. If you  understand your uniqueness, it will help you not to look down on others or even yourself.

Focus on identifying with God, discerning your reason for existence and keep functioning in it with boldness. I believe in doing this you will understand how special and unique you are and it will help to boost your self-esteem. God’s Spirit is always ready and willing to work within you. All you need is to believe and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

If you feel worthless or have a low self-esteem, remember that you are a unique creation of God and like David you too can say; “You alone created my inner being. You knitted me together inside my mother. I will give thanks to you because I have been so amazingly and miraculously made. Your works are miraculous, and my soul is fully aware of this (Psalm 139:13-14).”

God bless you!