The way we view ourselves when we look in the mirror is fascinating to me. Some of us think way too little of ourselves. We lack confidence. We have a low self-esteem. We don’t believe in ourselves and can’t understand why anyone else would. On the other hand, some of us have pretty inflated egos and overestimate ourselves. We don’t need people to tell us how great we are, because we do that for ourselves every day! How could you not love me? I’m God’s gift to the world!
What’s the lesson here? Be honest with yourselves.
Romans 12:3 says, “Measure yourself by the faith God has given us.”
In other words, the only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what He does for us, not by what we are and what we do for Him.
You aren’t defined by your past. You aren’t defined by your job evaluation. You aren’t defined by your political affiliation. You aren’t defined by what they tweeted or posted about you.
You are only defined by your identity in Jesus Christ. I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength, but APART from HIM, there isn’t anything that I can do!
Diversity, not uniformity, is the mark of God’s handiwork.
I don’t think that should be any more evident than in the Christian community. Look around and you will see the most diverse kinds of experiences, backgrounds, history, gifts, and talents. And when we come together, amazing things happen.
We can accomplish so much more together than we will ever accomplish on our own!
Measure yourself by the faith God has given us. In other words, the only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what He does for us, not by what we are and what we do for Him. Be who God called YOU to be, not someone else.
Romans 12:6-8 says, “In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So, if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.”
Whatever gift God has given to you, USE IT!
Photo by Clark Tibbs on Unsplash
