Book Review: Self-Esteem, God’s Style: A Biblical View of Self-Esteem by Rev. Rolfe Westendorf

Self-esteem-we hear it often. Our educational system is set up to help, not harm, a child's self-esteem. Sports leagues require participation of all team members every game to help build self-esteem.

Rev. Westendorf looks to the Scriptures for self-esteem. And he points to the Ten Commandments.

Rev. Westendorf does say people need a healthy self-esteem. Self-esteem is a biblical concept. A critical component of "love your neighbor as yourself" is self-esteem. If you don't love yourself, how can you love your neighbor?

Not that the Ten Commandments give self-esteem. Rev. Westendorf states that only the Gospel message of Christ's death and resurrection which gives us forgiveness of sins and new life can give us self-esteem. For God loved us enough to die for us. The Ten Commandments tell us how God seeks to protect our self-esteem. First, it protects our self-esteem by letting us know our rightful place in the universe. We are not God. We are not expected to be God. Thus we don't have to perform like God does.

The fact that God gave the Ten Commandments to humans and not to animals tells us something else about our self-esteem. God gave us a capacity to think, to reason, to act above and beyond instinct.

The second table of the law on first look seems to tell us what to do or what not to do. But they also protect each of us. If I am forbidden to kill another person, that person is also forbidden to kill me. God holds each of us in such esteem that he stated these protections for us.

You may want to order a copy directly from Rev. Westendorf.

This review was originally posted on BookIdeas.com.

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