The
Provider of Self-Esteem and Emotional Stability
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors
through him who loved us (Romans 8:37).
There are many people who suffer
from low self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy. It could have begun as a child
being unpopular in school, feeling unloved by family, never appreciated at
work, or a result of an abusive relationship. Whatever the source, those who
suffer from this have one thing in common…they need an understanding of what
Jehovah Jireh says and thinks about them instead of negative people. Jehovah
Jireh created us and has told us in His word what He thinks and feels for us. The
Bible says, “The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the
womb, I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a
prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:4-5). The text lets us know that we
were on God’s mind before we were ever created. Therefore, Jehovah Jireh is the
source from which we can gather good self-esteem. He builds His children up and
does not wish for them to feel worthless and inadequate. The Bible says, “I can
do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13).
When we think ill of ourselves, we are actually saying that God made a mistake,
at which, He never does.
In a society that places a lot of
emphasis on outward beauty, we can be easily caught up in trying to appease the
world and meet up to their standards. Nevertheless, our focus, as children of
the Most High, should be on what is on the inside of us, for this is what God
judges us on. The Bible says, “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider
his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look
at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord
looks at the heart’” (1 Samuel 16:7). The outward beauty of man will
fade, but the Lord is looking for those who have their hearts beautified in
Him. Now let’s go over some of the emotional needs that Jehovah Jireh provides
for His children to help us obtain optimal self-worth in Him, ourselves, and the
ability to have a positive overflow to others by controlling of our emotions.
Anger
The world is suffering from
people who do not know how to control their anger. Every day on the news, you
can see the evidence of this by all the shootings, stabbings, rapes, and even
beheadings that are done daily. The source of this emotion is the devil himself
when displayed in the wrong manner. The Bible says, “My dear brothers, take note of
this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become
angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and
humbly accept the word planted in you which can save you” (James 1:19-21).
Anger can be an ugly demonic tool if allowed to fester in the heart. We see
this take place in the story of Cain and Abel. “In the course of time Cain
brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. But Abel
brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked
with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not
look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the
Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do
what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right,
sin is crouching at your door, it desires to have you, but you must master it. Now
Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” And while they were
in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him” (Genesis 4:3-8).
Cain allowed his anger to get the
best of him even after being warned by God concerning it. It is natural to get
angry about things, but we must not allow it to cause us to sin and do harm to
others rather physically or by our tongue. Many people have suffered
emotionally due to someone spitting out venom from their tongues. The Bible
says, “But no human being can tame the tongue. It
is a restless evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:8). We cannot tame
our tongue on our own. However, Jehovah Jireh has given us the Holy Spirit who
can help us to be able to build people up rather than break them down.
Guilt and Condemnation
The world can be a place that is harsh and cold. The world will
hold the mistakes of a person’s past over them regardless of how much a person
has changed. The world says, “I remember when…” and the stain of a dark past
forever remains current in the minds of many. Unfortunately, it is not limited
to the world, but those in the body of Christ are guilty of this as well.
Nevertheless, Jehovah Jireh shows His children compassion instead of
condemnation. He’s declared us innocent instead of guilty through the blood of
the Lamb. The only thing we have to do is accept His free gift of Salvation.
The Bible says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for
those who are in Christ Jesus and the law of the Spirit of life set me free
from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2). We are to never allow
our pasts to dictate our future. Also, we are never to hold the past of others
over their heads as well. Jehovah Jireh gives us a fresh start when we accept
Him into our hearts. It doesn’t matter what people say and think, but what our
Lord says about us because there is NO ONE worthy of the grace of God, for we
ALL have sinned. The Bible says, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the
glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Forgiveness
Forgiveness may be one of the hardest things that a
person can do, and it plays a huge part in emotional balance. You may have
experienced hurt by the words of someone close to you and have feelings of
bitterness built up inside. You may have been the recipient of an unfaithful
spouse and the indiscretion keeps replaying over and over in your mind. You may
have harmed someone physically and there is no way to undo the damage that has
been done. You may have done a lot of hurtful things to others that you may
have a hard time just forgiving yourself. Whichever side of the fence you’re
on, Jehovah Jireh is the Provider of forgiveness.
Peter asked Jesus the question of how many times we
should forgive. The Bible says, “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord,
how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me Up to seven
times? Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times” (Matthew
18:21-22). Jesus gave Peter this response because Jehovah Jireh gives
us forgiveness constantly. None of us are worthy of His forgiveness, for sin
disqualified us, but the blood of Jesus qualified us and therefore, we are to
show the same mercy to others. The Bible says, "If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Not only is forgiveness necessary to
receive it from God, but it also has good health benefits as well, which lets
us know that Jehovah Jireh knew what He was doing when He required that we
reciprocate the forgiveness He gives us to others.
According to the Mayo Clinic’s website, forgiveness is
beneficial to healthy living because it leads to:
·
Better
relationships
·
Increased
Spiritual and psychological well-being
·
Higher
sense of self-worth
·
Healthy
heart
·
Decrease
in anxiety and stress
·
A
strong immune system
·
Low
blood pressure
·
Proliferation
in happiness
·
Less
symptoms of aggression
Because our temples belong to
God, we are to take good care of them. Part of taking care of our temples is
letting go of past hurts and allowing Jehovah Jireh to provide us with a heart
of forgiveness. The Bible says, “Do you not know that your body is a temple
of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not
your own; you are bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body” (1
Corinthians 6:19).
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