The purpose of this article is to encourage those who may be suffering from low self-esteem. All of us have had painful experiences from our past but we must not let what happened to us define who we are. The bible says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. There is no one else like you or will ever be so be the best you that you can. You have so much to offer others, but if you refuse to do so, someone will miss out . You can actually change someones destiny through what you have to offer. It does not need to be something big, but maybe a smile or comment that could possibly change someone's mindset of themselves. A story was told about a bird who had been caged for most of its life. Every time it tried to escape, the cage would stop its advances until finally it stopped trying. One day the owner decided to set the bird free. They opened the cage, but the bird refused to fly out . This is what a bad self image does to a person. They become locked in by their painful past, and when Christ sets them free to become who he has created them to be, they refuse to walk in  that freedom because of fear, anxiety, worrying about what happened may happen again. How many people are afraid of a new relationship because they were burned by the first one? They go through life lonely but afraid to venture out and take risk for fear that it may happen again. God made a covenant with Noah that he would not destroy the earth by water again. Why do you think that he did this? The devastation experience by Noah and his family was already painful enough, but to be reminded of the same thing over and over again would have been more than they could bare. The flood started with rain, and God did not stop it from raining. It would always rain and it continues to rain today. God's promise was to reassure them that no matter how much they would experience the rain, it would never destroy mankind again. Think of the peace that this promise produced. So what does that have to do with me today you may ask? That as you stay in God's word and maintain a relationship with Jesus Christ, he can also speak a promise through his word to you also. A promise of what ever bad experience you may have had, it will not happen again. You can be free from that pain from your past. Trust him and step out and take a risk because you are better than that! Better than what you may ask? well better than that pain that may be keeping you from advancing, better than what someone who you trusted did or said, better than what you have even negatively said about yourself. God loves you, but if you don't love yourself, you will never experience his love! Also if you don't love yourself, you will not be able to love others. Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself, but if a person does not love themselves, they will not be able to love others. You are better than that!