Scripture:
1 Cor 4:7 . For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
Observation:
Paul turns his message from the privileges of the Corinthians to how they should be view their church leaders. Some of the leaders in Corinth were boastful and liked adulation and the praise they received from others. They were boasting about how superior they were to others based on their spirituality.
Paul made it clear that no one is superior in God’s eyes. We are all equal. And the spirituality they received was a gift from God, not something they had earned.
Application:
It is easy to be humble when you are so good. Right? When things are going well and we are succeeding in our efforts, it is hard not to want to show others or think that we are better than others. We like to compare ourselves to others. It happens in sports. How fast can I run compared to others? It happens in business. How much money do I make compared to someone else? What is my title compared to his/hers? It even happens in church. How many people attended? What size/type of building does that church have? It is often the things that make us have a big ego that bring us the most pain. Wealth, sports, and even intelligence. These are all things that can over inflate our ego and cause us to live out of sync with the teachings of Jesus.
Just as Paul reminds the leaders in Corinth that they need to listen less to their admirers and humble themselves, I need to focus only on what God has provided me and serve Him in any way He asks. No one is spiritually better than another person. No one earned their place in Heaven. No service is spiritually better than another task. I must be willing to serve where I am needed most and where God wants me to serve. Wow! I am able to serve God. I am thankful and grateful. I need to be reminded every so often that serving Him is a privilege. It is not something I earned but something that was given to me.
Prayer:
Thank you for the gift you have given me. Let me praise you every day and serve you in ways that help further your Kingdom, serving with a servant’s heart.