"For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith." Romans 12:3
I feel like there are so many layers to uncover in this verse. Things like pride, grace, humility etc. but what is standing out to me, right now is the last part of the verse. "God has dealt to each one a measure of faith". Let's dig a little deeper.
Members of One body
For some reason, the common theme in what I'm listening to or reading these days revolves around not criticizing other people. Maybe God is trying to send me a message there! For that reason, when I read that last part of the verse, the Bible verse that comes to my mind is the one found in 1 Corinthians 12:12,27.
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ [...] Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
If you read that entire passage you find that each member of the church, aka members of the body of Christ, has a role to play. Each has a different role and one cannot do everything. Some people can have a big role like being the legs. Others can have seemingly smaller roles like the toes. But all are important for the body to move properly. As we all have different roles to play, we also have different amounts of faith given to us by God. Some have a lot of faith and others less.
Many Christians struggle on their journeys with Jesus. Some with anxiety, depression and stress. Others with compulsive behaviours, anger issues and bad temper. And the list goes on. The reality is that we each have different amounts of faith. Nonetheless, we are still greatly loved by God. And it's not because someone is struggling in some area of their faith in which you and I aren't that we should think ourselves better than them. Often what we do is think lowly of those struggling with sins that we would never think to commit. I know that for myself I had the bad habit (still struggling with it a bit) of going to church and analyzing everything people said, did and wore. I was constantly comparing myself to them and not understand why they did the things they did. "I'd never do that!" I thought. But the reality is that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). And more than that, the Bible tells us that whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all (James 2:10)
We all do things that are wrong. Nobody is better than another. And more than that, we do not know the heart of others. Perhaps one person looks good on the outside by doing good deeds and being kind but at home is a completely different person. At the same time someone could appear unkind and behave unchristian like but at home they are on their knees begging God to help them everyday. This reminds me so much of the parable of the publican and the pharisee. The Pharisee prayed "‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’" while the publican prayed " ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’. What a difference here! One just compares himself to others without looking within what may be wrong while the other sees his condition and pleads for help. This why Jesus said about the publican that " this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 18:9-14
Sin is sin. Pride is as offensive to God as someone struggling with addiction. It's time to stop the pride, stop looking at others short comings and start investigating our own characters because that's the one we will be held responsible for at the end of the day. We are called to love one another and help one another. Does this mean sometimes we will need to tell a brother or sister that they are in the wrong path? Sure, of course. But the point is that that is to be done only if the purpose is for helping. Not for the purpose of making yourself feel better. And certainly talking about that with someone else than the person himself has no good purpose in sight. That's called gossiping.
The reason why it's so tempting to think highly of ourselves, to gossip, to criticize and to judge is because Satan is happy with us wasting our time focusing on people we cannot change. He loves having us in a state where we feel as though we are not so bad compared to others. Why? Because when we are in that state, we are blind to our own defects. And if we're blind to our own defects, we cannot see that we need healing. So let's not forget that 'we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places' Ephesians 6:12. Let us ask Jesus to forgive us for our pride, gossiping tendencies and judgements, let's ask forgiveness from those we may have offended and let's seek strength from Christ to overcome these principalities that tempt us to judge one another.
I know that this is a very small part of an explanation to this verse but it's the one that I wanted to share with you all today. Comment below with what God has impressed upon your heart to share in regards to this verse.
Prayer to pray: Dear Heavenly Father, You are so good. You are perfect yet You do not criticize us. You are better than us in all ways yet you have sent Your Son to this low world to become flesh and die for us when He possessed the whole universe. Please allow this love to live in us that others may see You through us. Help us to be more understanding of those struggling that we may be of help to them in their times of need. Thank You for Your patience and for Your word that shows us clearly what we need to know to grow in the full stature of Christ. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
Thanks for reading!
Much love and smiles,
Nahisha :)
SIDE NOTE:
[The reason it says this faith was dealt to us by God is simply because every good thing comes from God.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights James 1:17
The fact that we have even just a little is thanks to God. So it's not that God gives more to one and less to another just because He feels like it. But rather, the reason we have a little is not because God chooses to give us little. It is usually because we don't ask for more. ]
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