By Marlene Mc Bean
Proverbs 3: 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes ;fear the Lord and shun evil.
We have a tendency to think too highly of ourselves but when we compare our life to that of God, we will see just how destitute we are in comparison. Paul was once a proud man…a Pharisee of the Pharisees, a Hebrew of the Hebrews and second to none in his profession (Phil 3:5).
When he was converted he realized that it was “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” (Rom 12:3). Do not think too highly of yourself.
We do not deserve the grace of GOD.
None of us deserves the grace of God and none can rightly exalt himself or herself above another. God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34) and is not partial. Paul exhorts us all to “Live in harmony with one another, Don’t be proud , but associate ourselves with the poor .
Never be wise in your own sight” (Rom 12:16). give yourselves to humble tasks. Consider ourselves as equal as the man who cleans the toilet or the man who sweeps the street. We are no better and God is no respecter of persons. It is only right that you do not think too highly of yourself.
Nothing should be done from selfish ambition or conceit.
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Phil 2:3). That’s the idea of true humility…put others interests ahead of our own and esteeming them as having a higher value than one’s self. We are all equal in God’s eyes but for “those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger” (Rom 2:8) and so we should be “devoted to one another in love.
Honor one another above yourselves” (Rom 12:10) and “not become conceited, provoking and envying each other” (Gal 5:26). In doing this we “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Eph 5:21).It is with this in mind that we should associate with all men and women, regardless of social status and to esteem others as more significant than ourselves. This will remind us not to think too highly of ourselves.