On a Pedestal

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your Name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness.

✙ Psalm 115:1

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There are different ways of putting ourselves on a pedestal. We can think we're better than others, of course. Intelligence, money, job, ancestry, ethnicity—these are just some of the reasons for conceit. But one of the most common (and dangerous) is faith. There are many who claim religious reasons for placing themselves above others—or simply for separating ourselves or categorizing people. But this separation does nothing to glorify the Creator of all, nor does it promote the health of the body of Christ.

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When I as a church member think of myself as a harder worker, or more faithful, more responsible, even more put-upon or persecuted, then I am placing myself on a pedestal. Yes, I should discover my spiritual gifts and use them for the good of the kindom. But the gifts—and even the faith—that I call mine are in reality a gift of the One who created me. They are intended for sharing—something that can most efficiently be accomplished when I am with others on the same level. 

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

✙ Romans 12:3

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Prayer after thinking about today's devotion:

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As a member of your Son's body, O Father, help me to discover my gifts and to share them with the church and the world—not out of conceit or superiority, but as a servant in his Name.

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After your own thanksgivings & petitions, close with the Lord's Prayer.

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