For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. Romans 12:3 (ESV)
One example, I recall, is the story of
Napoleon Bonaparte when he became Emperor of the French Republic. As Pope Pius
VII was about to place the crown upon Bonaparte in Notre Dame Cathedral, Napoleon grabbed the crown from the Pope’s hands and placed it upon his own
head. Napoleon thought he alone
was the only one worthy enough to put him on the throne. He thought of himself more highly than he
ought to.
For myself, this is an area I struggle in. I am prone to place my Crown of Destiny upon
my own head. Seeking to do that has seemed
like a splendid idea, but once on the throne of my own will, my prayer life wilted
and following my own devices, I wound up, as Emperor Bonaparte, standing before the smoking ruins of
a Waterloo of my own making.
Jesus invites all of us to trust Him to anoint
us for our life’s portion. Sober
judgment, with faith is our crown. I’ve
found when I have seized my crown from His hands, any imagined palace became a
very real dungeon. Compared to the
riches of Christ Jesus, it was an insignificant and pitiful return for my
efforts. I saw it for what it was, simply chump change. Obedience is truly better than that (Psalm 51:17).
Ken
