About 'self-esteem'

"This focus on overcoming inferiority and building self-esteem led to a heated debate among many Christians. Today, much of the fury has subsided, but the debate still continues in some places. Well-known Christian counselor Jay Adams became a strong critic of terms like self-esteem, self-love, and self-image. He used words like paganism and a plague to describe the self-esteem movement, and has argued that Scripture focuses on human sinfulness and self-denial rather than self-worth or self-affirmation. The Bible is not attended to "make us satisfied with ourselves as we are, but to destroy any satisfaction that may exist," Adams wrote. "You must treat yourself like a criminal, and put self to death every day."¹ Though far removed from the Adams camp, psychologist Paul Vitz has taken a similar view in a book that criticizes our modern overemphasis on the self and calls psychology a new religion that is based on worship of the self. ² 

Writing from a rich background of clinical experience, counselor David Carson takes a different approach. Carlson realizes how many people are devastated by a poor self-image. Instead, people need to be helped to find a biblical kind of self-esteem.

Self-love, as I understand the concept biblically and psychologically, include the following: (1) accepting myself as a child of God who is lovable, valuable, capable; (2) being willing to give up considering myself the center of the world; (3) recognizing my need of God’s forgiveness and redemption. Christian self-esteem results from translating “I am the greatest, wisest, strongest, best” to Ï am what I am, a person made in God’s image, a sinner redeemed by God’s grace, and a significant part in the body of Christ.”^3”

Taken from Christian Counseling: A Comprehensive Guide by Gary R. Collins

¹Jay E Adams, The Biblical View of Self-Esteem, Self-Love, and Self Image

²Paul Vitz, Psychology as Religion: The Cult of Self-Worship

³David Carson, Counseling and Self-Esteem