David Bahn – Reflections

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
²     Serve the LORD with gladness!
    Come into his presence with singing!

³ Know that the LORD, he is God!
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
    and his courts with praise!
    Give thanks to him; bless his name!

⁵ For the LORD is good;
    his steadfast love endures forever,
    and his faithfulness to all generations.

I was not a very good real estate broker. And that’s putting it mildly. I was not out and about connecting with people to get my name known. Nor was I confident enough to solicit listings successfully. I had gone to real estate school and done well. I understood the process. I had ads in the local newspaper. I had a real office and some part time help (paid for by my dad). But I was decidedly unsuccessful. The business closed after only a few months.

Those factors contributed to my failure. But the big kahuna behind it all was a lack of motivation. I just didn’t want to do the things necessary to get listings and sell properties. Behind that lack of motivation was the sense that I wasn’t really serving any truly necessary niche in the real estate broker landscape. I had thought of being a faithful and honorable broker. I truly wanted to be someone who was not just out for people’s money. I realized, however, that there were other honorable real estate brokers in my town and found little motivation to pursue that avenue.

There are different ways for people to have self-esteem. Some are decidedly unhealthy:

• Seeking Constant Approval from Others (e.g. relying on external validation instead of intrinsic worth.
• Comparing Oneself to Others (Measuring self-worth based on success, wealth, appearance, or achievements relative to others)
• Arrogance and Superiority (Building self-esteem by looking down on others or feeling superior)
• Materialism and Status Symbols (Believing self-worth comes from possessions, career success, or financial status)

But a healthy self esteem is founded on more solid ground. Christians are called to find identity in God’s grace and love. Psalm 139:14 – “I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Romans 8:16-17 – “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” A healthy self-esteem is rooted in knowing we are loved, redeemed, and valued by God, rather than trying to prove our worth through worldly means.

Out of that identity we are moved to praise God, and to serve him. Martin Luther connected that when he offered this explanation to the second article of the Apostle’s Creed:

“I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him [emphasis added] in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.”

We are loved by God. We are children of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ. We praise God also by serving him through serving our neighbor – with gladness!