Week Three DAY ONE / ROMANS 12:3

Transcription

1 Week Three DAY ONE / For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 19

2 Week Three DAY TWO / KEY GREEK WORDS For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. Λέγω γὰρ διὰ τῆς χάριτος τῆς δοθείσης μοι παντὶ τῷ ὄντι ἐν ὑμῖν μὴ ὑπερφρονεῖν παρ ὃ δεῖ φρονεῖν ἀλλὰ φρονεῖν εἰς τὸ σωφρονεῖν ἑ κάστῳ ὡς ὁ θεὸς ἐμέρισεν μέτρον πίστεως χάρις δίδωμι λέγω μή ὑπερφρονέω σωφρονέωto θεός μερίζω μέτρον πίστις cháris dídōmi légō mḗ hyperphronéō sōphronéō theós merízō métron pístis graciousness; the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life, including gratitude give, grant to lay forth, relate in words, tell not to esteem oneself overmuch, be vain or arrogant be of sound mind a deity, the supreme Divinity, God to part; to apportion a measure, by implication, a limited portion persuasion; faith 20

3 Week Three DAY THREE / DEVOTION For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. Express yourself! You re special. You be you! Each of these sayings was made popular in a different generation. Though Time Magazine calls Millennials the Me Me Me generation, it goes on to say that their self-focus is only because the Boomers intentionally instilled self-esteem into their children. Many Millennials point to the greed and quest for financial security as the key drivers that helped Boomers accomplish all they love to boast about. Millennials have a point. My point is that no single generation has a corner on self-focus. Throughout the ages, we have moved further into introspection, self-awareness to the point of self-obsession, and selfish motivations. Art, at one time, was predominantly a form of worship to bring glory to God. Sacred art is definitely on the decline. Church formerly existed to bring together the body to worship God and to be a fellowship of believers. Though we still have extraordinary moments of worship, churches today must spend more and more time catering to the needs of the members. Often members want a customized experience that pleases their unique 21

4 preferences in music or events, emphasis on areas of theology (or avoidance thereof), and balance between teaching and preaching. Many church members today are focused on their church experience and how well the church meets their expectations. Where is the focus on worship in all this? Whether we are talking about our local church or The Church, our focus should be on worshipping God and enjoying His presence. Our consuming desire as we think of the church should be How can we bring Him more glory and pleasure? And if God gives us a gift, whether teaching or encouraging or hospitality or whatever, we should rush to prayerfully place it on the altar and present it to Him as a sacrifice. After all, it is His gift to us, and we have no basis for pride because we did not instill that gift He did. He owns every good idea we will ever have, our creativity, all of our money, all of our time, and each talent and gift. We should only ask Him for more in order to give it back to Him through an act of worship. Well-meaning friends will praise us for our gifts, but beware. The moment pleasure courses through you and warms you when you are complimented for using your gifts for Him, remind yourself you are taking that praise under false pretenses. Every good thing comes from Him (James 1:17). journal Casey Hawley 22

5 Week Three DAY FOUR / DEVOTION For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. As believers, we have received eternal life and every spiritual blessing in Christ. Filled with the Holy Spirit, our motives are no longer about self but God and His Kingdom. In Luke 2:49, Jesus said He must be about His Father s business. Because of Him, that s our story, too! As the Lord graciously addresses all believers through Paul in this verse, we are told not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought. This comes from the Greek ὑπερφρονέω (hyperphronéō) meaning to esteem oneself overmuch. It s made up of two words: hypér, meaning over, and phronéō, meaning to exercise the mind, to be (mentally) disposed earnestly in a certain direction. In other words, one can t stop thinking about oneself. Even as we re to avoid arrogant opinions of ourselves, we re really not to be obsessively thinking of ourselves at all. Even self-loathing is self-absorption. We live in a narcissistic world that values self-focus. Our Father teaches us to train our minds to think about Him and others. Meditating on the things of God makes for healthier and blessed living. Self-absorption leads to misery and decay. 23

6 Finally, we re told to think with sober judgment or a sound mind, as God has apportioned to every believer the measure of faith assigned. The word actually denotes dividing it out. It makes me think of the Promised Land being divided to the tribes of Israel. Whatever they got was God s to give. We have nothing to get high-minded about. Everyone s part in the family business, God s Kingdom, is important for the whole and is given by Him according to His plan. We don t have to worry about competing but can cheer one another on for the good of the Kingdom! Lord, help us to keep our minds on the things above. journal Charlotte Travis 24

7 Week Three DAY FIVE / DEVOTION For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. Who boasts in a gift? No one. That would be ridiculous. We all know that gifts are to be received with gratitude, not boasting. Paul is about to teach the Romans about the gifts of the Spirit, but first he must teach them to have the proper mindset. He reminds them that grace and faith are a gift from God s hand. We didn t do anything to deserve this favor, so we need to accept the gift with humility. He wants all believers to know this. Each one of them and everyone among them has received grace and faith from God alone. So, with that in mind, we need to think about our spiritual gifts properly. Paul is exhorting the Romans to not think more highly or lowlier than they should but to assess their gifts accurately so that they will be able to serve the body in humility. Pride is often the response to giftedness, and he is warning his beloved brothers to be on guard against this. We should see the truth about ourselves so that we can joyfully and willingly serve the body of Christ for the sake of the gospel. It is a privilege that we can participate in the advancement of God s kingdom through our spiritual gifts. There is nothing in the 25

8 world that produces more joy or fulfillment than to be used by God, and it is very easy to start to taking credit for the gifts God has given us and think that WE are doing it. Humility and truth will guard against this temptation. Paul longs for his brothers to be fruitful for God, so he clearly warns them about this potential pitfall. Do you know your spiritual gift? Are you using it in humility to serve God? As we see the fruit that God produces when we walk in our spiritual giftedness, let it be a source of praise and not pride. Let us give thanks to our Lord who gives us all good things so that HE ALONE may get the glory! journal Toria Peterson 26