Better Not Better

Text: Romans 12:3-5

Theme: Though we may have special opportunities and unique gifts we are no better than others in Christ’s Church.

Key verses: “Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we belong to each other.

What I believe God said to me: Dwayne I have gifted you with many talents, abilities and spiritual gifts. You were given a rich home environment to grow and be nurtured. I have opened countless doors for you and given you authority to teach. You would appear to have “better” gifts than some, but you are not better. You have more knowledge than some, but you yourself are not more valuable or better than anyone else. Paul understood this in a deep way, and he embraced it. He knew he had more privilege and authority than others, and he used that authority. He didn’t neglect it or shy away from it. He may have even indicated he was “privileged” because of my grace given to him. Yet, he didn’t think he deserved or earned any privileges. He did not see his authority and ability and knowledge as something that made him superior to others. Just the opposite: He saw those as gifts I had given him to serve the body of Christ. He had an accountability, a responsibility to help others. His measuring stick for what he was to do and be was faith. Paul realized that even faith is something he did not get on his own. I give a measure of faith to each of my followers. Think of your friend, Scott, who does large crusades costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. His level of faith is greater than yours. I don’t expect you to go out and try to lead a city-wide crusade and put yourself and your ministry into that much financial need. You don’t have that much faith. Yet, you do have faith, and you are expected to feed that faith with my Word to help it grow. You are expected to exercise your faith and stretch it. Perhaps you will never be called to stretch it as large as Scott’s faith is. You have your calling, and he has is. You are both part of the body of Christ, and you both have important roles to play. So does every person in your organization and in your local church. Some need more faith than others to accomplish their mission. Trust me to provide the faith and decide who does what. Your job is be obedient to whatever I call you to do and to trust me to grant you the provisions, gifts and faith to pull it off.

What I said to God: Thank You, my heavenly Father. You are my God and Savior, and I love You beyond words. I need Thee every hour. I cannot accomplish the great tasks You have placed before me or the vision You have planted in my heart. Please help me always think soberly and humbly about myself and to always love and respect others in Your family, regardless of how much or how little my eyes can perceive that they do. Their worth in my eyes should be based on their worth in Your eyes, for in Your eyes we are all dearly loved and highly valued children of the King.