You know what comes before a fall.

“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 ‭NIV‬‬

If we all thought just a little less of ourselves and a little more of others, we’d all be our best versions of ourselves.

Pride urges us toward self-aggrandizement but humility keeps us grounded in reality.

Sober judgment is where balance presides.

Life is not a competition. As they say, ‘I want all of us to win!’

Staying in your lane and living secure within the faith and grace apportioned to you both accepts and honors God’s design.

Don’t think more highly of yourself than you ought, but also don’t think too lowly either.

Use that sober judgment to consider yourself accurately and pride will never encroach upon you.

c LifeMeansSoMuch.com

“So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭11‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Grace is unmerited favor. 

Not deserved. Not earned. Not justified by anything we can do. Unmerited. 

Be a good person. Behave. Observe laws and rules. Tow the line. Work really hard at being the very best version of yourself you can muster and still miss the mark entirely. 

Seems unfair?

Somewhere along your journey of being good are blemishes and events that clearly demonstrate the opposite. 

We are all far from perfect. 

To deny that fact is to invalidate both the death and the resurrection of Jesus on our behalf. 

Props to you for all the effort but pursuing works as an entry fee into heaven, ironically, is a ticket to hell. 

Faith in Christ must precede our pursuit of good deeds and selfless works. 

Good deeds don’t earn salvation, they are the natural and necessary evidence of a living faith. 

God’s grace seals the gap between whose we are and what we do as a result. 

There were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories.

‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Ancient passages sometimes read like current events. 

As history unfolds before us prophetically, the villian’s end game is revealed.

I’m all too often surprised when people refuse to see the revelation of events foretold so long ago and still choose ignorance over acknowledgement. 

Schooled to believe that having faith in God is a weakness instead of the means to life everlasting, they buy the lie and deny the power of our Creator to rescue them from the very veil that blinds them and those who would mislead them.

Christianity is increasingly becoming little more than a conspiracy theory to those who are being lost. 

It’s in these moments that we need to desperately pursue those around us who have been misled and penned in as sheep for slaughter. 

Don’t give up. Earnestly present your case and reason for the hope that once rescued you from the same destiny. 

Knowing how it might end for some must be the beginning of your prayer for those who may still follow Christ and live.