Thinking Right Romans 12:3-8

Right thinking is critical to avoiding the danger of pride.

My Favorite Illustrations He Saw Only What He Did

A small boy on a vacation trip with his family visited the Grand Canyon. The guide told them that the canyon had a depth of one mile. The boy’s parents gazed with rapture on this beautiful marvel of nature. As they turned to leave the boy spit out over the rim of the canyon. That night he wrote in his diary, “Today I spit a mile.”

Many people focus only on what they do and miss the grandeur that is all about them.

I. Think of Yourself- Rightly v. 3

When Paul transitions to v. 3, he is going to issue a warning that I believe all of us need to hear

Sometimes even the best churches ultimately falter because of pride:

It is definitely a sin that causes us to live independently from God, trying to serve Him in our own power

It also causes us to fracture and our fellowship suffers

We cannot be what God intends for us to be and operate in pride

To combat pride, we must think rightly about ourselves!

What does this right-sized estimation of ourselves look like?

It is not too high, our most likely course of action

Nor is it too low. It is a sober-minded evaluation of ourselves

It is in accord with the spiritual character and gifting that God has given our lives

This is not an excuse for shallow spirituality

Instead, it is a realistic look at what God has shaped us to be in His wisdom

Yard sales are funny things, because nobody is neutral! There are people like me who think that it’s almost all junk and don’t want anything to do with it. Then there are others that I know that think each item is a treasure. Neither judgment is correct; the reality is that each piece is different in each one has a different value and knowing the value matters!

II. Think of the Church- Rightly vv. 4-5

Next, Paul transitions and addresses how we think about the church; it is critical that we understand our relationship to God’s people

The Church:

Is one Body- intended for unity

Has many members- it is much more than any one of us

Is diverse in function- none of us is able to be the Body of Christ on our own!

Is headed by Christ- He is in charge!

Is necessarily interconnected- we cannot live as a part of the Body of Christ without consideration of others

Further, we must understand that pride is poison to the Body

750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers 46: Body of Christ

In March of 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinckley, Jr., and was hospitalized for several weeks. Although Reagan was the nation’s chief executive, his hospitalization had little impact on the nation’s activity. Government continued on.

On the other hand, suppose the garbage collectors in this country went on strike, as they did in Philadelphia. That city was not only in a literal mess, the pile of decaying trash quickly became a health hazard. A three-week nationwide strike would paralyze the country.

Who is more important—the President or a garbage collector?

In the body of Christ, seemingly insignificant ones are urgently needed. As Paul reminds us, “The head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’ On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable” (1 Cor. 12:21–22).

III. Think of Your Gifts- Rightly vv. 6-8

In light of the diversity of gifts given to God’s people and the nature of the body, our willingness to use them is critical

Our gifts have been given according to the wisdom of God:

He had a purpose in shaping us this way

To not use those gifts for His glory is an act of disobedience and is a disruption of His intended purpose

Paul makes it clear, we should use the gifts that God has given us and we should use them for His glory

Prophecy- in a measure consistent with our faith (you may have to go out on a limb in attempting to know the mind of the Lord)

Service- in serving others for the Lord

Teaching- in teaching God’s Word

Exhortation- in encouragement in the faith

Contribution- with a generous spirit, not stingy

Leadership- with zeal, not bitterness

Acts of mercy- with cheer, not resentment

When God’s people use God’s gift for God’s purpose He accomplishes incredible things through them

I read a humorous story about a woman who fell out of a second-floor window and landed in a slow-moving garbage truck. Half-buried in the litter, she tried without success to get the truck-driver's attention. A foreign diplomat standing on the sidewalk saw her and quipped, "another example of how wasteful Americans are. That woman looks like she's good for at least another 10 years."