This post is Day 7 in a series of studies about “A Living Sacrifice”, I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

Feel free to comment below with your own thoughts about each verse and how you will be acting on each thought. Also, if you haven’t yet signed up to receive the notifications of new studies, you can do that today (the form is at the bottom of the page).

A Living Sacrifice – Day 7

Many of us are wrong, but in the opposite direction. We think of ourselves as a nobody really having very little effect in the world around us. God loves us, but we can not do anything to change His world, we just try to be good and not upset anyone.

Romans 12:3

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

The Thought

This seems to be a mini-confession that Saul (renamed Paul after his conversion) used to think of himself “more highly than he ought”. He thought he was dong God a good turn by murdering those who followed Jesus. He honestly believed He was helping God’s cause! How wrong can we be?

Many of us are wrong, but in totally the opposite direction. We think of ourselves as a “nobody” really having very little effect in the world around us. God loves us, we know, but we can’t do anything to change His world, we just try to be good and not upset anyone.

That is not what Paul sees as sober judgement! As our faith grows we begin to see ourselves as effective witnesses for Jesus and will eventually see ourselves as “warriors” for The Lord.

The growing of our faith is essential, we must not be those who sit in church on Sunday and do nothing for Him in between. Jesus sent out the disciples, and He still sends out those who claim to be His followers, to do what He did and proclaim the good news that Jesus is the answer to every problem.

Action

Tell yourself today that you are important in God’s kingdom and ask Him what He would have you do today. Would He have you speak to someone about Him? Pray with someone who is not well? Have faith for the miraculous, at home, in the office, or at school?

Ask Holy Spirit to help you change your thinking so that it is more in line with God’s word and what He expects of those who claim to be His followers.