What does the Bible say about self-esteem?

TL;DR:

The fall of man resulted in God’s image in us being marred by the effects of sin. However, God, in His great love, sent us Jesus so that He could atone for our sins, and through believing in Him, our worth, identity, and eternal destination can be restored.

what does the bible say?

Man was made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27), but due to the fall, our relationship was marred (Genesis 3; Romans 5:12-14) and so was our self-esteem or self-worth. However, despite our sin nature, we are all still “hand-crafted” by God before we were even born (Psalm 139:13-14). Spiritually, our identity is transformed when we believe in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior (2 Corinthians 5:17). When we put our faith in Jesus, we go from being identified by our sin to being identified as children of God (John 1:12; Ephesians 1:5-6) and, therefore, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ (Romans 6:17-18; Romans 8:16-17). We are also transferred into the kingdom of Jesus (Colossians 1:13-14), made righteous before God (Romans 3:23-24), and are equipped with unique gifts to serve God with our life (Romans 12:3-8). Ultimately, we owe our transformed identity and renewed self-esteem to God, who blessed us with this restoration through His rich mercy, great love, and immeasurable grace (Ephesians 2:4-7).

from the old testament

All humans are made in the image of God, and as image-bearers, we have value (Genesis 1:26-27).
The basis of our worth is that we are made by God and in His image,. We can say with David, "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well" (Psalm 139:13-14).

from the new testament

Though none of us is sinless (Romans 3:10-12), we are made righteous in God's sight (Romans 3:23-24). This gives us worth and in turn, builds our self-esteem.
Jesus died in our place to appease God's wrath toward us. According to Romans 5:8, "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." We are precious in God’s sight.
Christians are redeemed from slavery to sin and have been empowered to pursue holiness (Romans 6:17-18). Seeing ourselves through the lens of our Savior should lead us to rejoice and increase our self-worth.
When we become children of God, we are also made heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17). No worldly accomplishment can impact our self-worth as much as our God-given status as royalty.
Our self-worth increases when we understand that as believers, we have a unique purpose: to use our God-given gifts to serve Him (Romans 12:3-8).
Christians have been adopted by God (Ephesians 1:5-6). He sees us as His very own children, and this gives us worth in His eyes—and it should give us self-worth, too.
We were once dead in our sin and our worth was marred because of it. But now, solely because of God, we have a completely new identity marked by a spiritually renewed life (Ephesians 2:4-7). We can take no credit for this, but rather thank God for our restored self-esteem and worth.
Colossians 1:13-14 says that God “has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." We are a part of His kingdom now. Our worth isn’t in who we once were but in our new identity in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). .

implications for today

Being made in the image of the only eternal, all-knowing, all-powerful, all-wise God could easily become a temptation to pride. That’s why we must remember that our creation, continued existence and worth, lie not in ourselves, but in the powerful working of God (Genesis 1:27; Acts 17:28; Hebrews 1:3).

People struggle with self-esteem because of the fall of humanity. Adam and Eve once walked naked without shame, but after they sinned, they were overwhelmed with shame and hid from God. Humankind has been covering itself ever since with wealth, beauty, power, and other temporary “solutions”—but these coverings merely mask our problem. Restored self-esteem comes only from a restored relationship with God and a proper understanding of our new identity in Christ. By repenting of our sin and believing in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are reconciled to God. The worth lost by our sin is regained and surpassed through faith in the righteousness of Christ. In Christ and because of Christ, we are of infinite worth to God. Unlike the ever-fluctuating self-esteem of the world, our worth does not and cannot change, for our worth is rooted in the ever-enduring love of Christ (Romans 8:35, 37-39).

understand

All human beings have inherent worth because we’re made in God’s image.
Because of the Fall, all humankind was marred by sin.
Christ’s loving redemption of humanity gives all believers worth; our esteem is found in abiding in Christ.

reflect

How does your identity as a child of God shape the way you view yourself?
When you struggle with self-doubt, how can you remind yourself of your God-given worth and purpose?
How does understanding that you are fearfully and wonderfully made influence the choices you make and the way you treat yourself?

engage

How does the world’s view of self-esteem differ from the biblical perspective, and why does that matter?
How can Christians help others recognize their worth as God’s image-bearers?
How can understanding our new identity in Christ influence how we address societal issues related to self-worth?