Jump Start # 1292

Romans 12:3 “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as god has allotted to each a measure of faith.”

This section in Romans starts the practical thoughts of the book. Paul is concerned with the insides as much as the outsides. Our attitudes eventually reflect how we treat others. We may have pretty good behavior, but if we maintain “stinkin’ thinkin’” we aren’t much better off.

There are four attitudes addressed in Romans 12:

• Attitude toward God: “present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice” (1)
• Attitude toward self: “not to think more highly of himself than he ought to” (3)
• Attitude toward others: “be devoted to one another in brotherly love” (10)
• Attitude toward those that oppose: “never pay back evil for evil to anyone” (17)

Our verse today deals with our attitude toward self. That’s hard. There is a balance. The text says not to think more highly of himself than he ought to. When we think too highly, we become arrogant and begin to think that we are better than others. In the church, we may think that the folks can’t survive without us. The big head leads to looking down at others. The superior attitude is a long way from the lowly Jesus who surrounded Himself with outcasts, lepers, tax collectors and those that society had given up on.

The other extreme isn’t any better when it comes to our attitude about self. Some would never think too highly of themselves, because they think too lowly of themselves. They beat themselves up all the time. They view anything that they have to offer as “dumb.” They begin statements like this, “This is a dumb question…” Don’t say that. Just ask your question. Thinking too lowly leads to no self esteem, no confidence,  and the feeling that you do not have anything worthwhile to contribute to life. Paul said, “I can do all things though Christ who strengthens me.” He also said, “We overwhelming conquer.” We are not junk, because God saw value in saving us. He didn’t throw us away. He didn’t give up on us.

Too high…too low. That’s the problem. It’s like sitting on a teeter-totter. Up and down. Up and down. Too much of self, too little of self. Back and forth. Finding that right balance, the Biblical balance is hard. It is a struggle.

  All of us have something to contribute to our fellowship. We tend to think too lowly when we compare our selves to others, especially those that excel in one area. In the parable of the talents, each servant was given different amounts based upon their ability. They were not compared with one another nor expected to do what the others did. However, they all were expected to contribute. There were things that they all could do. Some are very gifted in some areas. When we are not gifted in that area, it is easy to become jealous and to think that I cannot do anything. Down crashes our teeter-totter. We want to be like others, but we can’t. Talent, experience, backgrounds all play a part in developing who we are. However, there is something that each of us can add. So when your teeter-totter crashes down, don’t downplay what you are doing. “This isn’t much…,” or, “You probably won’t like this…” Don’t say those things. Find your gift. Excel and learn to use your gift better. Learn from others.

  Be careful believing what others say. This is when our teeter-totter sails to the top. Up, up, and away were the words of a song a long time ago. Those words describe our attitude about self when we start believing that we are the best thing that’s come along in some time. The compliments, the bragging, the puffing up can make us think more highly of self than we should. This comes especially true when you have gone out of your way to turn someone’s life around. You helped pull them out of the ditch spiritually. You were there for them. Because of your efforts a marriage was saved, a prodigal came home, an eldership turned around, a congregation moved off of dead street—the praise, accolades and tributes start pouring in. Be careful. Your spiritual teeter-totter is rising. It’s easy to think had it not been for me, all of these things would have gone south. Had it not been for me, all would have been lost. First, your part is always secondary to God’s part. God works with you, through you and receives the glory. The good done was by the Lord. You were just the instrument. You were the hammer. You were the shovel. Few people admiring a flower garden will praise the gardener’s shovel. It’s the gardener, himself, that gets the compliments. Make sure you point the credit to who really deserves it, and that is the Lord.

We are all just team players, on the same team, after the same thing. The guy who takes the ticket plays a role. Most do not even know his name. The person selling popcorn has a role. What would be the game without popcorn? Then there are the coaches, the players, the equip managers. Behind all that is the personal that has the stadium opened up. The lights work. The sound system works. The heat is turned on. Tons and tons of people who make concerts, ball games and other events run smoothly. The same is found in most congregations. There is a team of people that make everything work. The more we have that team attitude the more balanced we become in our thinking. When we start believing that I am the star, then our heads swell, our teeter-totter lifts high in the sky, and we generally ruin the good that we are doing. Arrogance isn’t attractive. It’s sours most people. Some folks need band-aides for their noses, because they are sticking so high in the air, they are scrapping the ceiling. I don’t fully understand it, but you put some academic letters behind some folks name, and they get stuffy, big headed and condescending toward others. They are difficult to talk to. They will not consider the thoughts of those “beneath” them.

In the early 1800’s, not far from where I live, there was an abandoned communal society. An Englishman, named Robert Owen purchased it and brought over from Europe some of the best thinkers and leaders of society. The place was named, “New Harmony.” In a few short years it ended in failure. There was little harmony in New Harmony. The elite set that came over didn’t work together. There was no team work. Everyone wanted to be the boss. The old expression, “too many chiefs and not enough Indians.” The New Harmony failure is repeated today in many organizations and many congregations. The key is to have the heart of a servant and have that balanced attitude about yourself.

Preachers have to watch this. I sometimes feel that the preacher is praised more than the Lord. It shouldn’t be that way. He is just another shovel that God uses. Unique as he is, he is not indispensable, indestructible, nor infallible. How he views himself sets the tone for others. Does he have the heart of a servant? Does he give credit to others? Does he listen? Does he have the mindset to be a team player?

Balanced thinking—the “teeter-totter complex.” It’s not easy. We must work at it. How you view yourself affects others. It also affects your relationship with God. So, don’t go too high, nor too low in how you see yourself.

Roger