Valuing Me

Read: Romans 12

"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." Romans 12:3

Examine:

This verse is often taken out of context. It does not say "do not think highly of yourself." It says, "do not think MORE highly of yourself that you OUGHT to think." Surrendering to Christ is not about developing a poor image of yourself. In reality, pursuing God means developing a strong and healthy sense of self.

Apply:

The command from the first verse of this chapter is to present myself as a living sacrifice to God. In the old testament, people were chastised for giving bad sacrifices. If they gave something that really did not mean anything to them their sacrifice was rejected. I have to know and value the man God has gifted me to be. Anything less than that is an insult to the God who desires my life to be a living sacrifice. I sense from God this morning three areas of value in my life I need to celebrate.

First, I need to value his ability to transform me. The challenge in verse two is to allow Him to transform me by renewing my mind. I have to celebrate the work of God in my life and pursue it with all diligence and with every once of intensity I have.

Second, I have to discover my gifts, place a high value on them, and use them in serving the Kingdom. I am valuable to the kingdom of heaven. When I choose to allow God to put me into service I am contributing to someone's eternity. I am a gifted servant. The word says that He has equipped me to do whatever He has called me to do. I have to value and honor the gifts that He has given me.

Finally, I have to value peace. Whether a person pursues peace with me or attacks me I have to value peace and steer clear of division and strife. Trying to defend myself or take my own revenge is counter to God's teaching. Vengeance is His. I need to give grace to others because I certainly need it myself.

Pray:

Father,

I desire to offer You something that is of worth. My prayer is that my sacrifice to You will be pleasing and acceptable in Your sight. If my body is to be a living sacrifice to You then I need to do a better job of knowing and appreciating who I am and what You have gifted me to be.

My image of myself is not that good. I struggle with being self-depreciating. In all honesty, I often feel inferior to others and this forces me to spend high levels of energy fighting to keep even a small sense of self-worth and confidence. This poor choice on my part opens me up to jealousy and creates inside of me a desperation to belong. I confess to You today that I have not thought of myself as I ought. It is hard for me accept complements from others and it is nearly impossible for me to allow my self-talk to be positive. I no longer want to offer You my life without thinking properly about the worth of it.

Open my eyes to the transformation that has taken place in me and create in me a insatiable desire to pursue the man You desire for me to be. Help me discover and value the gifts that You have blessed me with. I need to have a strong sense of self and a deep respect for my gifting. Guide me as I serve the body so that I do not go down a path that leads to division. Empower me to freely celebrate Your work in the lives of others and help me be secure enough in Your provision to trust You to be my defender.