As we head into this Christmas season, there is so much discussion about the greatest gift of all—and rightfully so—the birth of Jesus Christ. But have you ever considered the second greatest gift that God has given to us?

Now I must admit that there are a lot of second greatest gifts from the Lord when you are talking about Him. But the one I consider amongst the top of the list of the second greatest gifts is your worth in Christ!

Why? Because when we truly apply the truth of who we are in Christ to our lives, we can and will become all that God created us to be. This in turn, will enable us to walk victoriously in spite of Satan’s schemes.

It’s time to forget about self-esteem! That’s a lie from the pit. It’s important to know that Satan wants to cause us to stumble and fall. Therefore, he uses our world system to bombard us with ads and campaigns trying to get us to raise our self-esteem so that we will feel good about ourselves.

I once heard Pastor Bob Hoekstra share a thought-provoking definition in one of his messages (many, many years ago) that stuck with me all these years. He said, “Esteem means to hold in high regard. Self-esteem [then is] learning to hold yourself in high regard.”[i]

Therefore, self-esteem is just a politically correct term for pride! And what does God’s Word say about pride? Pride goes before the fall.

Proverbs 16:18 says,

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

The Message Bible translates it this way (which is priceless),

First pride, then the crash—the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.

I’ve been a biblical lay counselor for over 30 years. And if I truly want to help a woman (which I do), why would I teach her something that would set her up for a fall?

So what does this mean for you? Only God’s Word has the power to impact and change your life. When you read the Bible, you will discover that not one verse teaches self-esteem. In fact, the Bible teaches the opposite. It teaches you to die to self and live for Christ. When you start living for Christ, you soon learn to walk in the truth of who you are in Christ!

You see, once you’ve accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior (which is the greatest gift of all) this second greatest gift—who you are in Christ—is available to you.

Let me explain.

First Corinthians 1:30 says,

It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption (niv1984).

In Christ, you become a work of art, equipped to do a good work. Take a quick peek at a short list of who you are in Christ.

• You are loved by God
• You are created in His image
• You are His workmanship
• You are a citizen of the Kingdom of God
• You are chosen
• You are protected by Him
• You are forgiven
• You are washed clean from your sin
• You are set free
• You are more than a conqueror
• You are a partaker of His divine nature
• You are able to stand firm
• You are strong in the Lord
• You are a new creation in Christ

And never, never forget that you are always in His thoughts.

I’m so passionate about teaching this truth to people because I’ve seen that, once a person embraces the truth of who they are in Christ, their lives are radically, radically changed. Changed for the better. This is why I’ve put so much effort into bringing you the Embrace Truth Podcast.

Click on the audio files at the top of this page to listen to the full Christmas message that goes much deeper than this blog does. It includes what you just learned above, as well as a super cool word picture of how to tangible apply the truth of who you are in Christ so that you can walk victoriously.

Merry Christmas!

Here is a Christmas gift for you! A Free e-book Your Worth–57 Amazing True Statements About You!

Oh, and if this message encouraged you, please consider sharing it with a friend or two.

God bless, Cherie

Parts of this message were inspired and partially quoted from my book Go in Peace and Clothed in Righteousness.

[i] Bob Hoekstra, “The Exaltation of Self” (Murrieta, CA: Living in Christ Ministries), lecture on cassette tape.