Crawling Out of the Cracks

Many people are living beneath the level that the Creator has purposed for them to live. Not having the mate of their dreams , not living where they want to, not having the careers they desire, never reaching in every dimension of life that which they are capable of. Why? The answer is simple they don't expect to. They do not believe that they can or if they somehow do it will only be temporary.

These people have a rodent mentality, instead of enjoying the mansion that the creator has prepared for them, they spend most of their existence in the cracks of the walls, believing that somehow they have been called to live in such misery. Their poor self-esteem never allows them to, for any extended period of time experience the light of God's glorious abundant, beautiful, limitless life.

Things That Determine Self Esteem:

Parental Relationships

The main contributing factor in determining the sense of self esteem that an individual possesses is their relationship with their parents (especially their father) and their affirmation of them as individuals with the right to be. It has been shown that individuals who have a good relationship with their parents tend not only to be more confident but also less likely to be promiscuous or addictive and more likely to be successful in their chosen path.

Peer Pressure

Another contributing factor in influencing one's self esteem is the opinion of our peers whether expressed verbally or non-verbally. Peer pressure is a strong factor in not only determining people's behavior (their dress or mode of conduct), but also in determining their sense of self. Someone who is continuously ridiculed and rejected by their peers may find it very difficult to maintain a proper self esteem.

The Media

The media is now also a very powerful tool in the transformation of the behavior of civil society. Marketers know that the proper use of the media can transform people's thought patterns: how they see the world, how they use their leisure time and finances, the goals and aspirations they set for themselves, their mode of dress, their religious and political beliefs but most importantly how they see themselves. The models that are used in both the print and electronic media and how we match up to them can influence our belief about whether we are 'OK' or not.

The Effects Of Poor Self Esteem

Poor Self Esteem Can Affect Us In Many Ways

Firstly it hinders us from receiving all the wonderful things that are in store for us. Our Belief system determines what we will receive from the creator. For us to receive of the limitless, abundant riches of the creator, we must not only believe that he can but more importantly that he will give them to us. If we do not believe that God really is capable of loving us, then we will not truly expect him to give good gifts to us and so we will not receive them.

Poor self esteem will make it impossible for the individual to believe that they will be rewarded. It is hard to believe a God they cannot see will feel better about them than the persons around them who they see and hear. It is therefore almost impossible to have the "confident assurance that something they want is going to happen." and so they block God's best from entering into their lives in it's fullness.

Secondly when good things come, it is almost impossible to enjoy them because they do not believe that they deserve them and their faith in the negative will ultimately bring about the results they truly expect. Faith and fear both work on the same principle - what you truly expect you will have. Therefore if you do not expect the blessings to last because of some inadequacy or guilt you may possess, then it evaporates just as you expect. Ever heard someone say, "I knew it was too good to last, things like that just don't happen to me for long." What they don't understand is that the reason those same things happen for other people and they last, is because those people have a "confident assurance" that it will.