There’s a brand new study of college students in Psychology Research and Behavior Management that adds to the growing body of literature, suggesting a significant relationship between anxiety disorders and self-esteem.
And that body of literature suggests the following:
Low self-esteem? You’re much more likely to suffer from anxiety.
Low self-esteem? You’re much more likely to suffer from depression.
Low self-esteem? Well, that’s associated with inflammation, with infertility, with marital conflict.
So what exactly is “self-esteem” in the academic literature?
It is, according to this particular study, “how individuals evaluate and perceive themselves.”
That can rise or fall, over time, depending on various factors. More on that later.
But I’m sharing a passage of background literature from this particular study — one that suggests just how dangerous (yes, dangerous) low self-esteem is.
The researchers:
“High self-esteem can protect individuals from harmful consequences of negative experiences such as failure.25–27
Individuals with high self-esteem strive to overcome difficulties, while those with low self-esteem tend to avoid challenging tasks.28
In particular, college students with low self-esteem were empirically evidenced to have higher stress hormone levels in response to difficult missions and were more likely to suffer from negative emotions and mental health problems.29
Low self-esteem also exerted negative effects on the academic engagement and performance as well as the happiness of students.28,30–32“
End quote.
Of course, the authors included the necessary citations for each one of those statements.
And that’s not the only literature on the subject.
You can read more here.
Now…
A lot of Christians blame “self-esteem culture” for students’ and young people’s problems, and yet the academic literature suggests exact opposite.
That a low opinion of yourself, a negative opinion of yourself is harmful, impedes success, hurts relationships, and your own body.
And that it is also associated with anxiety and depression.
Empirically, that’s been established.
Anecdotally, have you found that true in your life?
Think of the broken marriages and broken kids who suddenly view themselves as unlovable and go out desperately searching for love in the worst places.
When we’ve felt worst about ourselves, how have things gone?
Feeling poorly about yourself is a crisis of every kind, and it’s exactly what Satan wants. He is the great destroyer, and that sort of goes hand-in-hand with thinking we’re no good and worthy of destruction.
Now, to be sure, the evangelical church is changing on this. There are fewer and fewer sermons about what worms we are.
Yet there are large swaths of churches that still preach a gospel that is hardly the Good News.
And the Good News is entirely compatible with self-esteem, because self-esteem is entirely compatible with God-esteem.
In fact, you kind of have to believe you’re lovable to believe Christ can love you.
Some Christians dispute that. But it’s both theologically and practically true.
The Anglican theologian N.T. Wright recently explained on his podcast how important it is that we internalize that John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world.”
It didn’t say he hated the world.
He loves the world, he loves people.
He loves us so much he died for us and lives in heaven, praying for us.
As Christian philosopher J.P. Moreland says, God wouldn’t send his beloved son to suffer and die for a cockroach.
Look at Jesus’ ministry.
He searched for, befriended, elevated those who undoubtedly had the lowest self-esteem.
He told a prostitute she had worth. Who else would do that?
He told the “dregs” of society that he cared so much about them he was going to be their friend, and yes, die for them because he thought they were valuable and lovely.
Read the Gospels and they’re a tale of Jesus going to those with, presumably, the lowest self-esteem and saying, “I love you so much. Can I spend time with you?”
In fact, here’s a thought experiment.
When the (presumable) prostitute famously met Jesus in Luke 7, how do you think she left that encounter?
Do you think she felt both a) better about herself as a person and b) immensely grateful for Christ’s love?
I would think so.
Christ-esteem and self-esteem co-existed and, in fact, worked in synergy.
And yet that’s not the message delivered in so many churches and in a Christian culture that bashes “self-esteem.”
But Jesus loves us. He has a place of glory reserved for us.
I don’t think he wants us to argue with that. To tell him we belong in the dirt.
Remember the verse: “We love him because he first loved us.”
He decided that you and I were intrinsically beautiful and valuable enough to die for us. Sinners, yes, but valuable and beautiful ones.
That makes me feel wonderful about both Christ and myself.
Don’t let either Satan or certain Christian groups tell you otherwise.
I heard the message of “you’re a sinning worm” my whole life, and (to this day), it’s something that’s haunted and sent me to the ground.
Because, after all, the dirt is where worms belong.
I’ve known scores of other Christians who have the same story of being told, so relentlessly, that they’re unlovable sinners that they can’t possibly believe that either Christ or anyone else can love them.
The truth is that both self-esteem and Christ-esteem are entirely compatible.
In fact, they are connected in a beautiful way.
The more we adore Christ, the more we — to paraphrase Brennan Manning — take Christ’s view of us against our own negative self-esteem, and therefore, the closer to joy in every area of our lives.
Christ loves us. And if he does, it’s quite okay for us to, as well.
[Lithograph: Self-Portrait in Spherical Mirror, M.C. Escher]
