How do you feel about yourself?
It's not that we never “deserve” good things, but we need to have a healthy understanding of what we are owed and what is a gift.
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 all belong to each other. (Romans 12:3-5)
We live in a culture that is steeped in entitlement and self-focus. And it seems to be getting worse and worse every day.
No matter who you are, no matter where you live, it feels like the entitlement mentality problem keeps getting more and more prevalent. Whether it’s bad drivers who think they own the road or it’s college-aged students who think other people should pay off their school loan, the whole of society is primed to take advantage of each other.
And, let’s be honest; Christians haven’t exactly helped the situation. We’re really good at pointing fingers rather than offering grace. And at the same time, we sometimes act like we’re better than everyone else because we don’t struggle with the same sins that they do. Helpful, right?
And then, along comes Paul and says stuff like this: Don’t think you’re better than you are. Be honest in how you evaluate yourself.
What are we supposed to do with that?
Okay, obviously, we know as Jesus-followers weren’t not supposed to be puffed up and selfish. We get it. But where’s the line? What’s the boundary? How can you tell if you’re proud or not?
Aren’t we supposed to love ourselves? Aren’t we supposed to value ourselves because of Jesus’ sacrifice for us?
Yes.
So how can we reconcile loving ourselves the way Jesus does and not thinking “too highly” of ourselves?
Well ... what is your attitude? How do you feel about what you deserve? Do you think that the people in your life owe you? Do you think God owes you something?
That’s not to say that we never “deserve” good things. That’s not it at all. But we need to have a healthy understanding of what we are owed and what is a gift. If you walk through life with an attitude that demands things, you aren’t going to make a lot of friends. And sometimes the best way to respond is with humility, whether you deserve a reward or not.
Remember, your identity—your individual worth as a human being—has nothing to do with your work or your productivity. You don’t have to fight or prove yourself to be worth something to anyone else. If they don’t acknowledge your worth as a person, they’re wrong.
God established your worth when He gave His Son for you. That’s all you need to know about how much value God puts on you. And when you see worth through that filter, we are all “worth” the same thing.
That means you are worth God’s love. That means other people are too. So don’t try to compare your value to someone else’s. You can’t. God loves you both equally.
You don’t have to be better than someone else. You don’t have to be lower than someone else. Just be who God made you. Value others. Value yourself. Because God does.
Questions for Reflection
Where do you think the issues of entitlement come from in our culture?
Why do you think people struggle with issues of self-worth?
What is the danger of thinking too little of yourself? Too much?
Weekly Memory Verse