When you were growing up, do you remember hearing constant reminders to share, to be nice, to behave and not to brag? Now we’ve grown up, are do we sometimes take these childhood admonishments too far? Accepting our own gifts can get stifled by the verse not to “think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think” (Romans 12:3a).
In our insecurity, we disrespect ourselves.
We set our standards too high and then put ourselves down because we don’t do things perfectly. Fear of making mistakes, perfectionism and low self-esteem often keep us from stepping up to the next challenge.
On the other hand, some of us really do get hooked on the “more and better” game. When we need to have the last word, or one-up each other, we are leaning toward St. Paul’s caution about thinking “more highly.”
Thinking too highly shows up when we micro-manage, taking on too much responsibility, instead of allowing others to serve with us. Or when we feel we need to apologize for someone else’s mistake, we are holding ourselves too highly. Listen, we just aren’t that powerful.
Thinking of yourself too lowly or thinking of yourself too highly are both burdens of unbelief.
Self-judgment, put-downs, and comparing ourselves to others—these are the
pathos
of the soul turned inward. And it means death to us. The self will never be good enough.
Paul’s advice in Romans continues: “. . . but rather think of yourself with sober judgment in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you” (Romans 12:3b)
.
Lent is a time for sober reflection while we wait and long for transformation.
But we’ll never be fully transformed in this lifetime. As we wait, let’s remember that we are both saint and sinner, that we have given much and we are meant to use those gifts to serve the Kingdom of God.
