1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Studyheadquarters dot com. 3 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: You're listening to daily devotions with Pastor John. I'm John Stangey, 4 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:22,800 Speaker 1: and today's devotion is inspired by Romans chapter twelve, verse three, 5 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:26,799 Speaker 1: which says, for by the grace given to me, I 6 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:30,160 Speaker 1: say to everyone among you not to think of himself 7 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 1: more highly than he ought to think, but to think 8 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 1: with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith 9 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:46,159 Speaker 1: that God has assigned. Conceit is the same as self idolatry. 10 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 1: When we begin to think more highly of ourselves than 11 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 1: we ought to we're essentially preaching a message to our 12 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 1: hearts that is the opposite of the Gospel. The Gospel 13 00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 1: teaches us that by nature we are needy, can infused 14 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 1: spiritually blind sinners who were doomed. But Jesus looked at 15 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:10,839 Speaker 1: us with compassion. He saw our need, and he intervened 16 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:14,119 Speaker 1: on our behalf by paying for our sin and taking 17 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:18,920 Speaker 1: our punishment upon himself. When Jesus was cursed by those 18 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 1: who rejected him, he didn't strut or reply with arrogance. 19 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:29,320 Speaker 1: Even though he's God. He willingly humbled himself and graciously 20 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 1: chose to serve and suffer for humanity. When we make 21 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:37,559 Speaker 1: the mistake of thinking too highly of ourselves, we miss 22 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:41,720 Speaker 1: out on opportunities to serve others because those opportunities start 23 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 1: to seem beneath us. And when we idolize ourselves, we 24 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 1: forget the example Christ set for us of responding to 25 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 1: others with humility and to servant's heart. Let's pray, Lord, 26 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 1: we thank you for your word, grateful for the privilege 27 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:02,240 Speaker 1: that it is to be able to look at this 28 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 1: portion of scripture from the Book of Romans today, and Lord, 29 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:08,240 Speaker 1: we thank you for the challenge that you give to 30 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 1: us here to not think too highly of ourselves. So 31 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 1: often we can put ourselves up on a pedestal, and 32 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 1: we can begin treating our opinions as if they have 33 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 1: more value than the opinions of others. But that's not 34 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:26,520 Speaker 1: your calling on our lives. Your desire is that we 35 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:30,399 Speaker 1: would put others before ourselves, and that we would glorify 36 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 1: You in everything we do, not that we would spend 37 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 1: our lives idolizing ourselves or glorifying ourselves. So Lord, we 38 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 1: pray that we would see the wisdom in the approach 39 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 1: that you've outlined for us here, because this is the 40 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 1: example that you also set for us. Lord, we're grateful 41 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 1: that when you came to this earth and you walked 42 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 1: among us, you did so with humility. You sacrificed, and 43 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:59,520 Speaker 1: you served for our benefit, and you gave us that 44 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:05,239 Speaker 1: exam and then encouraged us to follow the example you set. So, Lord, 45 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 1: we pray that our hearts would be intent on doing 46 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 1: that as you empower us to do so as the 47 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:14,040 Speaker 1: fruit of our faith. Because we love you, because we 48 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 1: trust in you, we pray that we would model what 49 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 1: it means to be your followers, to be your family, 50 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:25,560 Speaker 1: to be your ambassadors in this world. Lord, we're grateful 51 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 1: for this wise instruction that you've given to us from 52 00:03:28,480 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 1: your word, and we thank you for the privilege to 53 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 1: think about these things today. We commit ourselves to you now, 54 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: and we pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.