“The greatest realization is the difference we can make through love. Anything that is capable of spreading love is of great value to the betterment of this world, and God’s Kingdom.” – Jasmine Swann

 

The Six Pillars That Lead to Godly Self-Worth directs us to place our value in God. We are made in the image of God, and God is Love. Therefore, our value is Love.

 

The Six Pillars That Lead to Godly Self-Worth are:

 

1 - Living Consciously

2 - Self-Denial

3 - Self-Responsibility

4 - Self-Assertiveness

5 - Living Purposefully

6 - Practicing Personal Integrity

 

These six pillars are intended to help us:

• move away from worldly self-worth, which fluctuates as a person’s perceived value goes up or down; and is affected by a person’s mistakes, failures, and unhealthy or failed relationships

• demonstrate love for God, ourselves, and others.

 

SwannLife Academy promotes following these six pillars to develop Godly Self-Worth.

 

Pillar 1: Living Consciously

 

When you live consciously for God, you are aware of your actions, and how they affect you and others. You don’t act on impulse and you are not emotionally led, but spiritually led.

 

God says it like this:

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

 

Also, you are aware of when you are contributing to a problem, or a part of the solution.

 

In order to live consciously for God, you must first acknowledge that there are two kingdoms at work – The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Darkness. Then, you have to decide that you – your body, your mind, your spirit, and your tongue – will only be used to advance the Kingdom of God. You are aware that Satan desires use you to perform evil – and you are conscious to the fact that there is a Spirit influencing everything you do; and your behaviors.

 

Pillar 2: Self-Denial

 

Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself [turn from his selfish ways], and take up his cross, and follow me.

 

Self-denial for God requires that we acknowledge, without dispute – that what we think, what we feel, what we desire, what we have done, and what we are [in our flesh] is a perverted version of what God originally intended.

 

Self-denial entails the declaration: “I will throw off my old sinful nature and my former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception and follow Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 4:22

 

Self-denial differs from self-acceptance in that self-acceptance instructs you to accept and tolerate yourself in your imperfections or sin. However, God calls us to deny our imperfections through the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

Self-denial in no way promotes condemnation, as any person who has received the Gift of Salvation is free from condemnation. So, although the world’s system of Psychology says to accept who you are and that you are not able to change, Christians acknowledge that with denying ourselves comes the power of the Holy Spirit, who resides in us and gives us the power TO change.

 

Pillar 3: Self-Responsibility

 

Self-responsibility means being responsible, answerable, or accountable for something within one's power, control, or management. It is the acknowledging that you – through your speaking, thinking, feeling and behaving – are in control of how you experience life.

 

Galatians 6:7-8 – Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

 

Proverbs 18:21 – The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.

 

God has given us free will to make decisions, however, He holds us accountable for those decisions. That accountability can result in consequences that are far worse than the temporary pleasure our bad behaviors brings to our flesh.

 

Pillar 4: Self-Assertiveness

 

Self-assertiveness for God means to live authentically – to speak and act from your innermost convictions. It is also confidence in your own beliefs without being aggressive.

 

Galatians 5:16 – So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. When we confidently trust in God and His Word, we can live for Him without doubt and insecurity; or the need to debate with aggression.

 

As Christians, we must be true and faithful to the Holy Spirit living inside of us. We should yield to every conviction of the Holy Spirit. How does one do this? With practice! Practice gives God the opportunity to deliver us, and strengthens our faith in His deliverance from future trials and temptations.

 

The next time you are tempted, speak God’s word over yourself concerning that wrongdoing. Record the time it takes for the desire to leave you. Pay attention to witness the enemy fleeing from your presence. Every Christian should seek to know what an amazing feeling it is!

 

Assertiveness without Aggression –

 

First and foremost, the Holy Spirit convicts us in the area of love – love for God and others. Therefore, although you boldly live for God, love dictates the manner in which you express your beliefs.

Galatians 5:16 – This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

 

Assertiveness for God is not belligerence, but humility and being respectful.

 

Here is an example of being assertive for God –

 

Joshua 24:15 – And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

 

God gives each of us the power to choose, so we should convey the gospel through our actions and speech, while realizing that not every person will accept us or The God in us. This is why it is also so important that we do not become unequally yoked together with unbelievers.

 

Romans 12:18 ^– If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.

 

God calls us to live peaceably with each other when possible. If two people disagree at the very core of their being, it will be very difficult to live together without dissension and forceful assertiveness.

 

Pillar 5: Living Purposefully

 

To live purposefully for God means to acknowledge that as a Christian, your life’s purpose is to love and serve God, and do His will – that is ultimately His will for every Christian. When we submit and surrender to God, He takes us through a life transformation that includes exercises to strengthen our faith and become fully proficient at defeating the enemy; then He reveals and introduces us to His purpose for our lives.

 

Romans 12:1-2 – I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

 

When we present ourselves as a living sacrifice and submit to the renewing of our minds, we open ourselves up to receive Colossians 1:10.

 

Colossian 1: 10 – So that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.

 

In order to grow in the knowledge of God, we must plant God’s word in our hearts, through reading His Word and speaking it over our lives. God makes it very clear that without His Word, we cannot be successful.

 

Joshua 1:8 – Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

 

Pillar 6: Practicing Personal Integrity

 

As Christians, we must practice personal integrity for God through yielding to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. While we live in this world, we must be careful not to absorb its standards of right and wrong. The world supports many freedoms that God abhors. We must be careful to live according to God’s word, and not the world’s standards. As Christians we are led by the Holy Spirit, and not persuaded by the opinions of this world.

 

Practicing personal integrity for God means acting according to God’s beliefs, character, standards, convictions, and ideals under the direction of the Holy Spirit. When our behavior is congruent with our professed values in God, we have integrity for God.

 

Isaiah 29:13 – The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught."