I feel often like the cross-eyed discus thrower. I don't set any records, but i like to keep everyone on their toes. I don't know why i post these things but hopefully it helps to keep important things upper most on our minds.

How should a person feel about himself? How should a Christian feel? Should his or her self-image be primarily positive or negative? Should a Christain stress continued sinfullness or should his primary emphasis be on newness of life?
What is meant by self-image as desiginated by the psychological term self-esteem? By self esteem we refer to the evaluation which an individual makes and customarily maintains in regard to himself. An expression of approval or disaproval-- it indicates the extent to which the individual believes himself to be capable, significant, successful and worthy.
Generally our self-esteem is either high or low, either predominately positive or predominately negative.
Again, generally speaking, I believe that what someone thinks of themselves has much to do with the kind of life they will live. A person tends to live up to his self-image.

Lets look at Paul's self image.
Paul had a very positive self image. He saw himself as a great sinner but he refered to the
Grace of God who forgave his sins. In 1st Tim. 1:15 he refered to himself as the chief of sinners.
Paul was accepted by God and was useful in God's Kingdom. Paul stated, " I am the least of the Apostles, unfit to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God, but by the Grace of God, I am what I am and his Grace toward me was not in vain."
We might say then, that though Paul does have a very deep sense of sin, he is able to maintain a predominately positive self-image.
His confidence was not so much in himself, but in God. It was not I, but by the Grace of God which is with me. 1st. Cor. 15:10. As a matter of factin 2nd. Cor. 11 : 30 Paul goes so far to say,
" If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weaknesses." Paul despite his deep sense of sin, always maintained a positive self-image. He believed in God's Grace.

What better example can we use than Paul's life? I believe entrenched in his life was what he could accomplish in God's Kingdom more so than dwelling on past mistakes.

Having a positive self- image has helped me tremendously in my life. I have always felt that i could overcome the difficult years and lack of education and succeed. I am assured that God's hand was leading me on along with the love and support of a great family and host of friends.

This concludes my post on self-esteem.