Sober Judgment

Romans 12:3 NLT
“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.”

Paul urged his readers to offer up to God their bodies and their minds in Romans 12:1-2. We should seek to be used by God for His purposes and to see the world through the lens of what He wants instead of just what we want. Now Paul writes that this begins with seeing ourselves as we really are.

We tend to inflate our perception of ourselves. We are always at the center of our own mind’s eye, always measuring everything we see and hear, against the standard of our own perspective. Sad, but that is human nature.

Paul writes that one of the ways our minds must be transformed is in developing the ability to see ourselves accurately. We must develop “sober judgment,” or an objective eye. We need to be honest with ourselves about who we really are, not who we think we are.

Sober judgement includes self-evaluation and mostly seeing who we are compared to the Word of God, the person He wants us to be. God has work for each of us, an inflated view of ourselves will only get in the way of the truly powerful things God intends to do through us.

Not everyone has an inflated view of themselves, some think they are less valuable than they really are. That view can keep us from the service of the Lord as well. Although Paul was dealing with inflated views, I have found there has to be a sober judgment with ourselves because sometimes we limit our own abilities when God knows what we are really capable of.

Prayer:
Lord, let me see myself and my abilities through Your eyes. You know what I’m capable of, help me so I can strengthen, encourage and help others along the way.