How Low Self-worth Distorts your Identity in Christ

It is said that everything in life has its advantages and disadvantages. But not low self-worth!

It has no advantage or benefit to offer you. All it offers are negative vibes and toxic effects.

Last week, we talked about low self-worth and its causes. And in addition, we flipped the script, emphasizing how focusing on God’s word is important to overcoming low self-worth. 

I hope you read those scriptures that were given? If not, go read the last post now.

So, today, we could discuss some of the effects of low self-worth. And in addition, scriptures to meditate on would be given to stir your heart in the right direction.

Ready? Let’s begin!

Effects of Low Self-Worth on Individuals 

1. It makes you not see yourself as God sees you

One of the toxic effects of low self-worth is that it makes you view yourself in a negative light, away from how God sees you.

God sees you as precious, honourable, beloved, and priceless. However, that critical voice of low self-worth constantly whispers thoughts of condemnation; making you view yourself as useless and worthless.

And one example to examine in this case is Jeremiah, when God called him. 

Here, Jeremiah saw himself and referred to himself as a child. However, God had to correct him, and make him see how he had been chosen for the work, right before he was even born.

Jeremiah 1:4-8  Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.

But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.

Jeremiah saw himself as a child, whereas God saw a prophet to the nations.

How do you see yourself? Is it in alignment with how God sees you?

2. It makes you feel incapable of doing God’s work

Another effect of low self-worth is that it makes you underestimate yourself, and feel incapable of doing God’s work. It makes you underestimate yourself and feel incapable of the assignment God has given you.

Remember when God appeared to Moses, and informed him of the assignment of saving the Israelites? What did Moses say?

He started talking about how he was slow of speech and incapable. He felt he couldn’t do it and gave several excuses. 

Exodus 4:10, 13  And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.

And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.

Moses was so unsure of himself that he even asked God to send someone else to do the work. Low self-worth is a great hindrance to the fulfilment of your purpose.

3. It leads to being timid and limiting yourself

Another effect of low self-worth is timidity, and placing a limit on oneself. When one sees him/herself as low and worthless, he/she would always feels less, and place limits on what he/she can do.

And Gideon did this when the angel of God appeared to him, while he was threshing wheat in the winepress. Another sign of timidity there.

So, when the angel told him he would save Israel from the hands of their enemies, he limited himself, stating how he was the least in his father’s house.

Judges 6:14-15  And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?

And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.

This shows how much low self-worth can make you limit yourself.

4. It leads to accepting negative and condemning thoughts as the Truth

Your thoughts determine the course of your life. So, negative thoughts lead to a negative life and positive thoughts to a positive life.

Thus, another effect of low self-worth is that it leads you to believing negative and condemning thoughts and allowing them define you. These thoughts can come in form of past mistakes, which the devil takes advantage of to make you feel bad. 

However, you need to realize that you are not your mistakes. Your mistakes do not define you, only God’s word does.

Thus, the only truth you must accept about your life is the Word of God. And this is why studying the Bible consistently is important.

Your self-worth must not be based on what men think, whether it be positive or negative. It shouldn’t be based on the approval or disapproval of men. 

Because while people’s opinions about you may change, based on the situation; God’s word and opinion about you would never change. It is settled forever.

Psalms 119:89

For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

5. It leads to craving external satisfaction or validation

Craving of external validation and acceptance is another sign that an individual is suffering from low self-worth. 

When you have a low and negative view of yourself, you would seek acceptance and validation from others to fill that vacuum. However, this is not healthy, because people’s acceptance of you does not validate or invalidate your worth.

This is also why an individual with low self-worth is more likely to engage in destructive behaviours with his/her peers to gain their acceptance. And this is not healthy at all.

An example of this was demonstrated in the life of a young prophet in the Bible who disobeyed God. And instead, he obeyed an older prophet, who told him to do the opposite of what God told him. And this led to his untimely death.

1 Kings 13:21-22, 24  And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee,

But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the LORD did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.

And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase.

Low self-worth has such devastating effects!

6. It leads to anxiety, depression, and causes fractures in our relationship with others

Low self-worth also rears its ugly head in our relationships with others. An individual with low self-worth is deeply insecure. Thus, he/she gets easily offended. And this leads to fractures in relationships.

Low self-worth also leads to feelings of anxiety and depression; making a person feel down and low. 

When an individual feels low about him/herself, such a person gets easily affected by things around them. And this can lead to thoughts of anxiety and depression.

Using God’s Word to Overcome Low Self-worth

Now, regardless of how toxic the effects of low self-worth may be; God’s word is capable and more than enough to detoxify and neutralize its effects.

God’s word is life! It is powerful! It is potent enough to change our perspective and turn our lives around. And building a relationship with God is key to achieving this.

So, here are some scriptures to meditate on, from today, to start your journey to overcome low self-worth and live a life of victory in Christ.

Joshua 1:9

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Jeremiah 17:7

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Philippians 4:13

I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Hebrews 13:6

So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

In our next post, we would discuss practical ways to overcome low self-worth. Till then, keep meditating on those scriptures above. 

Also, if this post blessed you in anyway, kindly drop a comment and share with others. You are priceless before God!

5 Ways to Overcome Distractions to Fulfil My Purpose

There are many hindrances that you would encounter in your journey to purpose fulfilment. And while these hindrances are bound to come, a way of escape is also available to help you scale through.

Many have died without fulfilling their purpose to the highest level that God intended. The hustles of life, the desire to make much money, unhealthy competition with others, laziness, etc. distracted many of them.

However, this is not God’s will. He is much more interested in the fulfilment of our purpose than we even are. So, in this article, we would examine some ways to overcome the hindrances that may want to prevent you from fulfilling your purpose.

1. Build a consistent life of fellowship with God: 

The first way to overcome the hindrances that may be in your way to purpose fulfilment is by building a great relationship with God. And you achieve this through consistent fellowshiping with Him, in prayers, and His Word.

When you daily fellowship with God, you stay connected to the source of life. And this is one of the greatest requirements to live a purposeful life. 

As you fellowship with God, He would always prompt you and give you instructions on what to do on the journey of purpose fulfilment. He would teach you what to do, tell you the things to let go of, etc. He would also build you, equip you, and make you better, as you do His will.

Building a consistent life of fellowshiping with God would give you a heavenly perspective on your purpose and its importance. He would place burdens in your heart about your purpose. And those burdens would always drive you to seek him more.

He would set you ablaze, aflame, and aglow for him! You would be too on fire to be distracted! You would be the one soul that serves the Lord, and because of you, a generation would be led to him.

2. Make your eyes single:

Another way to overcome hindrances in your journey of purpose fulfilment is to make your eyes single. Set your face like a flint. Stay focused! 

Know what God requires of you, and focus solely on it. Don’t be distracted. 

You shouldn’t compare yourself to others. Don’t compete. Don’t run faster than others that you miss your destination. Make your eyes single!

Read also: 7 Steps to take to fulfil your purpose

3. Create a schedule:

You should also create a system and a schedule that makes it easy for you to fulfil your purpose. After knowing what God requires of you, and identifying your goals and objectives, it is time to create a productivity system.

If your assignment is to reach out to teenage girls through writing blogs, physical meetings, etc. You should create your blog topics for the month ahead of time. Also, create a time on your calendar for your monthly meetings ahead of time, and stay conscious of those commitments.

Block out time in your schedule weekly to focus solely on what God has instructed you to do. Then stick to that schedule consistently. When you do this, with time, it would become a part of you.

4. Join a community of like-minded visionaries:

Joining a community of like-minded individuals who are also on their journey to purpose fulfilment would also help you stay focused on your journey, too. 

Proverbs 27:17

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

When you walk with the wise, you become wiser. In the same vein, when you walk with people of the same mind, they encourage and push you to be more intentional and focused on your purpose, too.

You would love: 5 Simple ways to discover your purpose as a teenager

5. Get a deep understanding of the importance and urgency of your purpose:

This is a crucial point that every person should know. Your purpose is VERY important to the world, and the world awaits your manifestation. A generation would keep groaning in pain till you arise. So, you can’t afford to keep stalling and wasting time.

Also, remember, you don’t have all the time in the world. Hence, once you are instructed by God to go, just go. Don’t doubt it. Don’t be afraid!

Live with a sense of urgency. And live a life that deserves the statement, “Welcome, good and faithful Servant. Come into the joy of your Lord. “

So, which of these strategies are you currently applying in your life as a visionary sent by God? 

Or which other tips would you like to add, which have worked for you? I would love to learn from you, too.

Kindly share this article with a friend, and be a part of this move of God!

5 Strong Factors that can Hinder You from Fulfilling Your Purpose

Discovering one’s purpose and knowing how to fulfil it is a great thing. However, there are some factors that can hinder you from fulfilling your God-given purpose, if care is not taken.

Now, one important thing about your purpose is this: As much as God is interested in it, so is the devil interested. Yes! 

On one hand, God is rooting for you to succeed, so that you can establish his kingdom on earth, as it is in Heaven. Also, the devil wants to hinder you from fulfilling that purpose, so that you don’t become who God has created you to be. And so that you don’t do what God created you for.

Factors that hinder you from fulfilling Purpose

1. Selfish ambition: 

One factor that can hinder you from fulfilling your purpose is pursuing a selfish ambition that doesn’t have God’s purpose as its focus. 

When we pursue things other than what God wants us to pursue, such as the pursuit of money, fame, influence, etc. We would surely get distracted from what God really wants us to do. 

Anyone who wants to serve God and fulfil their purpose, such a person must die to themselves and become selfless. The person must make God’s purpose the centre of their life’s purpose. 

2. Lack of focus: 

Another factor that hinders people from fulfilling their God-given purpose is lack of focus. Not having focus or priorities makes many people fail in many areas of life.

It is important to know that you cannot do everything. You need to prioritize and focus on the things that are most important if you want to fulfil your God-given purpose. Then you must prioritize it and focus on achieving it.

Laser-focus ‌separates winners from mediocre. You can’t afford to be distracted by social media, other people’s achievements, etc. 

Be laser-focused! Set your face like a flint! 

Read more: Challenges faced by Christian teenagers and how to overcome them

3. Lack of clarity:

After the discovery of purpose, another factor that can hinder you from fulfilling purpose is lacking clarity on how to achieve the purpose. In anything one wants to attain in life, clarity is KEY!

You must clearly understand your purpose, understand the importance of the purpose, know your target audience, know the ways through which you would fulfil the purpose, etc.

And you can only achieve this by asking God, who created you and ordained that purpose to be fulfilled by you. Go to God in prayers, and ask him to reveal your purpose to you: the what, why and how.

4. Wrong association:

Bad communication corrupts good manners. When you walk with wise men, you become wise, but a company of fools shall be destroyed.

These statements point to us, the importance of good association, and the consequences of the wrong association. Your association in life affects you in a lot of ways. The people you associate with would either encourage you to do more for God or discourage you from going all out for God’s kingdom.

Thus, when you are in the wrong association, such a company hinders you from fulfilling your purpose and being the person who God has called you to be. 

5. Laziness:

Another factor that hinders ‌people from fulfilling their purpose is laziness. Yes, laziness! 

Some people already discovered their purpose and know its importance. However, they are lazy to put in the work that it requires. They are not ready to go all out because they love their comfort zone and are not ready for the more that God wants to do through them.

They procrastinate, give excuses, etc. Laziness is another reason ‌many have not emerged in their God-given assignments. 

You would like: Tips to living a victorious life in Christ

Final Thoughts on Factors that hinder you from fulfilling Purpose

As believers, we ‌know that our purpose is beyond us. It is part of a gigantic puzzle that God aims to piece together in order to establish his kingdom upon the earth.

Thus, every believer must take his/her position and stand in their place. Everyone must be ready to put in the work, in his/her little way, for the entire agenda to be fulfilled.

The world awaits the manifestation of you and I. World problems are waiting for us to arise and emerge with world-class solutions. We can not afford to be complacent.

We arise for God’s mandate and his will be done!

What are you doing to enforce the will of God on earth? Let’s talk in the comment section.