Counsels on Self-Identity

Counsel #26 — Self-Worship

Picture: Counsel #26 — Self-Worship CI 184.1

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to feel good about yourself, but when your sense of worth depends on achievements, looks, approval, or social media likes, it can quietly shift from healthy confidence to self-worship. It’s the difference between saying, “I matter,” and saying, “I’m what matters the most.” CI 184.2

In today’s world, the pressure to prove your value is intense. You might hustle for perfect grades, the best body, or nonstop productivity just to feel like you’re enough. Although this “grind” is what culture deems normal, no amount of success can fill the space meant for God. It will only make you feel more anxious, more exhausted, and more discouraged. Keep in mind that self-worship isn’t always obvious. Sometimes it shows up in your belief that you can’t rest, can’t fail, and can’t ask for help. If you become your own idol, you’ll end up burning out at your own altar. As Christians, there’s freedom in humble worship focused on God instead of self. Taking the magnifying glass off yourself and placing it onto Whom it belongs is a form of surrendering self-worship.^[200] CI 184.3

“I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” Psalms 16:2 NIV CI 184.4

“With earnest, fervent prayer, plead for purity of soul.” Ellen White in Prayer , p. 13 CI 184.5

Reflect: Are you building your self-esteem on being God’s son or daughter, or on things in this world that won’t last? CI 184.6