7/1 Romans 12:3

³ For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

Romans 12 begins the exhortation portion of the letter to the Romans. Paul wrote that it was by the grace of God that he is about to tell us what we should be doing. If any of us has godly advice for another, it is by the grace of God. Here is a man that once killed and imprisoned Christians, and he is about to tell us how to live. He can only do that because the grace of God reached down and saved him and renewed his mind. It is the same for us all. If we have something of value to share with others, it is because the grace of God has gifted us with a life transformation and a message that needs to be heard.

He warns us not to think too much of ourselves, but to think with sober judgment. In other words, be honest about your place in the body of Christ. If you think you are a great leader and no one is following, think again. If you think you are nobody but you see God working through you to encourage someone, think again. Don't try to exalt yourself, but neither should you downplay the gifts and faith that God has given you. The body of Christ does not need ego trips, nor does it need false humility.

As believers, we tend to swing to one extreme or the other. We want to do great things for God and God wants to do great things through us, but our idea of great things isn't always God's idea. Spending years befriending someone which results in that person understanding the gospel is a great thing. Being a speaker that leads people into the deep truths of God is a great thing, too, as long as God gets all the glory. Each of us has been given a measure of faith. Soberly assess what God has called and gifted you to do. What is your measure of faith and how does He want you to use it?

Consider: Being faithful to exercise your gift of faith by the grace of God is a great thing!