Bible Verses for Building Self-Esteem

Do you need help building self-esteem? These Bible verses are ideal for helping you choose a positive outlook even when you aren’t sure about the esteem you have for yourself. You can meditate on them to gain the peace and confidence you are seeking.

Any time you need help building self-esteem, you can turn to these verses. Write them out and post them where you can see them often. Then turn them into prayers that will encourage your faith.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. – Galatians 2:20, ESV

This is great news! As a believer, you no longer live by your own power. Jesus lives in you through the power of the Holy Spirit. He guides you and empowers you to live a life of abundant joy because he loves you so much.

When you focus on God’s love for you, it can change everything regarding how you feel about yourself. Meditate on all parts of this verse, thinking about the ways it can lift you up when you feel down.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. – Psalm 139:14, ESV

This entire psalm is one of the best places to turn in the Bible when you need to build your self-esteem. It teaches you that God masterfully created you before you were ever born and loves every single detail about the way that he made you

You are a unique and beautiful creation handcrafted by him for his glory, and no one can take that identity away from you. By hiding this verse in your heart and mind repeatedly, your soul will start to know very well that you are one of God’s most wonderful works.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. – 1 Peter 2:9, ESV

Do you tend to speak words of doubt or condemnation over yourself in your mind? This verse will affirm the great value you have in God’s eyes when you are struggling with your self-esteem. Because God calls you his own, you can now live in the light of his presence rather than in the darkness of negativity.

He chose you and called you royal and holy not because of anything that you have done, but because he gives his majestic identity to you since you belong to him. It’s powerful to meditate on the truth that the creator of the universe treasures you as his beloved possession.

She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” – Genesis 16:13, NIV

Hagar was an Egyptian slave, badly used and mistreated then cast off into the wilderness as a single mother. But God loved her so much that he met her in the wilderness, provided for her physical needs, and spoke words of encouragement over her. So, she called him “the God who sees me,” and we can use that same name for God ourselves.

Because God sees us, we have great work. He gives us his full attention even when we aren’t paying attention to him. But when we turn our attention to the God who sees us, we can receive healing for the hurt places attached to our broken self-esteem.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. – 1 John 3:1, NIV

You may struggle with building self-esteem issues based on a difficult childhood. You might biologically belong to a family yet feel like you have never been fully accepted for who you are. This fact can take a toll on how you see yourself. But God calls you his child because he lavishes his love on you.

It can be a great comfort knowing your Father in heaven dotes on you like a loving dad. He can heal every wound incurred from your own family and set you in a new family of believers who will affirm your value as a child of God.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.” – Matthew 5:14, NIV

Jesus called himself the light of the world in John 8:12. Then in this scripture, he also says anyone who follows him is also the light of the world. The light Jesus shines brings illumination into the darkness of the world and gives it life. He calls us to do the same thing in a way that we interact with others.

This is a very important task because it introduces people to Jesus, often for the first time. Jesus would not entrust us with this important task unless he found us worthy of carrying his light inside ourselves. This fact should help you know how important your light is in God’s kingdom. Don’t let your broken self-esteem get in the way of you shining your light for God’s glory.

I can do all this through him who gives me strength. – Philippians 4:13, NIV

Perhaps you struggle with feeling weary due to low self-esteem. But the good news in this verse is that you don’t have to depend on your own strength. You can call out to God to give you the strength you need to do whatever God calls you to do. Jesus will give you the power that you need for the hardest things in your life, including building self-esteem.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. – 2 Corinthians 12:9, NIV

You may feel weak when you are struggling with low self-esteem. This popular verse tells us that God does not see our weaknesses as failure. Instead, he sees them as places where his power can shine through. You can find great encouragement in this spiritual truth. Where you feel weak, God’s grace will show up in powerful ways as you invite him into your life.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. – Romans 8:37, NIV

No matter what kind of trial you are facing, your enemy Satan will try to prevent you from building self-esteem and accuse you of being inadequate to stand firm. However, God promises to make you more than a conqueror because he loves you.

He will help you through any kind of problem you have, even the ones that affect your self-esteem in negative ways, because he has amazing plans for you based on his vast love for you, just as you are today.

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 15:57, NIV

Even though you may feel unsure of yourself, God has a victory in store for you. The victory he wants you to claim is having a healthy sense of self-esteem based on your identity in Christ. You can find help in claiming this victory by meeting with a qualified Christian counselor.

Your counselor will have practical suggestions based on biblical principles for building self-esteem. Reach out to us today to learn more about how Christian counseling can help you build your self-esteem.