What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him? Yet You have made him but a little lower than God [or heavenly beings], and You have crowned him with glory and honor.
—Psalm 8:4-5 AMPC
Pride is a terrible sin, and we are instructed in God’s Word not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to (see Romans 12:3). That doesn’t mean that we need to have a bad opinion of or look down on ourselves. It does mean that we are to remember that we are no better than anyone else and that whatever God has enabled us to do is a gift from Him. We have no more right to claim credit for a special ability we have than we do for blue eyes or brown hair. Paul wrote to the Corinthians and asked them what they had that did not come as a gift from God (see 1 Corinthians 4:7).
When we are warned not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to, it means we are to realize that we are nothing apart from Jesus and without Him we can do nothing. The value we have is found in Him, and we can celebrate who we are only because of Him. Actually, when we celebrate who we are in Jesus, it is a way of celebrating Jesus Himself.
We make this a lot more difficult than it needs to be. It is simple—we are everything in Jesus and nothing in ourselves. I like to say, “I am an everything/nothing!” We celebrate because of the amazing work God does in us, and not because of any worth we have in ourselves. As long as we continue giving God the glory for anything good that we manifest, we are on a safe and right track.
For some reason religion has taught people that to be godly they must have a low, or even bad, opinion of themselves, and I believe this kind of thinking has done incalculable damage to the plan of God. As long as we know we are lower than God and He is always our Chief and Head, then we are safe.
Trust in Him: Say out loud daily, “I am nothing without Jesus, but in and through Him I am valuable and I can do great things.”
Understanding the Times
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is. And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass. Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?”
Luke 12:54–56
On December 26, 2004, a massive earthquake in the Indian Ocean, the third largest ever measured by seismograph, sent tsunami waves crashing onto the shores of numerous countries. When the waters finally subsided, nearly a quarter of a million people were dead, and billions of dollars in homes, property, and businesses were destroyed. Most of the people had no warning of the coming danger, but on several islands the population was completely spared. According to their tribal traditions, when they felt the earthquake shake the ground, the people immediately fled away from the beach into the mountains. They had passed down wisdom from one generation to the next that warned of the danger of flooding following an earthquake.
The Bible gives us clear indications of what the end times will be like, and God expects us to prepare ourselves accordingly. We are not meant to be blindly wandering through events, but rather wise to know what is coming so that we will not be caught off guard. “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). The condition of the world as we go forward is not getting better. And as a result, we will face new challenges and temptations in the days ahead. The key to being ready for what happens next is to be grounded in the Scriptures so we are not swayed by error.
Luke 12:54–56
On December 26, 2004, a massive earthquake in the Indian Ocean, the third largest ever measured by seismograph, sent tsunami waves crashing onto the shores of numerous countries. When the waters finally subsided, nearly a quarter of a million people were dead, and billions of dollars in homes, property, and businesses were destroyed. Most of the people had no warning of the coming danger, but on several islands the population was completely spared. According to their tribal traditions, when they felt the earthquake shake the ground, the people immediately fled away from the beach into the mountains. They had passed down wisdom from one generation to the next that warned of the danger of flooding following an earthquake.
The Bible gives us clear indications of what the end times will be like, and God expects us to prepare ourselves accordingly. We are not meant to be blindly wandering through events, but rather wise to know what is coming so that we will not be caught off guard. “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). The condition of the world as we go forward is not getting better. And as a result, we will face new challenges and temptations in the days ahead. The key to being ready for what happens next is to be grounded in the Scriptures so we are not swayed by error.
Today’s Growth Principle:
A careful reading and study of the Word of God prepares us to understand the real implication of current events.
You’re an Everything/Nothing…and So Am I!
by Joyce Meyer - posted June 01, 2016What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him? Yet You have made him but a little lower than God [or heavenly beings], and You have crowned him with glory and honor.
—Psalm 8:4-5 AMPC
Pride is a terrible sin, and we are instructed in God’s Word not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to (see Romans 12:3). That doesn’t mean that we need to have a bad opinion of or look down on ourselves. It does mean that we are to remember that we are no better than anyone else and that whatever God has enabled us to do is a gift from Him. We have no more right to claim credit for a special ability we have than we do for blue eyes or brown hair. Paul wrote to the Corinthians and asked them what they had that did not come as a gift from God (see 1 Corinthians 4:7).
When we are warned not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to, it means we are to realize that we are nothing apart from Jesus and without Him we can do nothing. The value we have is found in Him, and we can celebrate who we are only because of Him. Actually, when we celebrate who we are in Jesus, it is a way of celebrating Jesus Himself.
We make this a lot more difficult than it needs to be. It is simple—we are everything in Jesus and nothing in ourselves. I like to say, “I am an everything/nothing!” We celebrate because of the amazing work God does in us, and not because of any worth we have in ourselves. As long as we continue giving God the glory for anything good that we manifest, we are on a safe and right track.
For some reason religion has taught people that to be godly they must have a low, or even bad, opinion of themselves, and I believe this kind of thinking has done incalculable damage to the plan of God. As long as we know we are lower than God and He is always our Chief and Head, then we are safe.
Trust in Him: Say out loud daily, “I am nothing without Jesus, but in and through Him I am valuable and I can do great things.”
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