Be of the same mind
toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the
lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.
Romans
12:16 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
This is another direction
from Paul’s chapter on godly living. We need to strive for unity, not seeking
to promote ourselves, get our own way, or cause division or conflict in the church.
The reason for this is that disunity makes a mockery of the church to the
world, but unity glorifies God because that is reflecting His character. Paul
also says that we should not think that we are better than others, for any
reason. We should not exclude anyone because they are lower (or higher) class, wear
different clothes, have a different racial background… The list could go on. The
point is that God made us all to be equal. No one is any better than another in
God’s eyes, and that is how it should be with us. Again, this call to unity, to
harmony, to loving others enough, to overlook your differences and
disagreements. Lastly, he says that we should not think that we know it all. It
doesn’t matter who has a doctorate and who didn’t even make it through high
school, God can use us all. And frankly, no person could possibly know
literally everything. There will always be someone out there who is smarter in
some way (trust me). We need to have the humility to seek unity rather than
toot our own horns or prove what we know or how right we are. There is no surer
way to be proven foolish. Spend the day endeavoring to love those “beneath” you
or who disagree with you. Allow someone else the opportunity to be “smart."
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