Self-Esteem: Looking Up Instead of Looking Inside

by Leslie Vernick

How do you answer the question: "Who am I?" Do you base your self image on your successes, failures, acceptance, and/or rejections by others? Most of us do, but when we base our value and worth on external sources rather than what God says, our self-image will shift like sand, leading to an unstable and anxious sense of who we are. Experienced counselor and author Leslie Vernick shares that the answer to healing a negative self-image and low self-esteem is not in trying harder, gaining more popularity, being more productive, having more possessions, securing more power, having a coveted position, or in achieving perfection. A healthy sense of self doesn't happen by focusing on self at all. Instead a healthy self-image combines the security of knowing God's love with the humility that comes from knowing ourselves and how much we need Christ.

24 pages, Paperback

Published March 7, 2016

Reviews

[Paul Tautges · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leslie Vernick begins with honesty and transparency about her own struggles—seeking a sense of worth and acceptance from false sources, whether within herself or from the world around her. She thoughtfully engages with the self-esteem language and beliefs so common in our culture, offering a biblical response. Vernick identifies six common places where many women (though men will benefit from this book as well) often look for worth: popularity, productivity, possessions, power, position, and perfection. With wisdom and gentleness, she confronts each of these six mirages through the lens of Scripture, showing that true and lasting worth can only be found in the Lord and the identity we receive in Christ. I didn’t give this mini-book a full five-star rating because I wished she had taken a few moments to gently address and correct the popular concept of self-forgiveness, which is so prevalent in today’s culture.

[Abbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Neglects the heart issues underneath self-esteem and the repentance needed to change.