"For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?"
1 Corinthians 4:7 (NKJV)
• Whatever you have and whoever you are: all is by God.
- If you are in an honourable position, know that God is the One who puts you there.
- Mordecai told Esther, possibly God had made her queen for the deliverance of Jews.
13 “Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. 14 ...Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”
Esther 4:13,14 (NKJV)
• If you had a gift or an ability to do something well, know that the gift, ability, was given to you by God—and there is a purpose for it.
- Whatever you have that gives you an edge, an advantage, over others was given you by God—you do not have it, receive it, because of your cleverness or smartness.
- If you know what you have was given to you, you did receive it, then it would not be vaunted—you will not talk proudly or boastfully about it.
- The Bible admonishes us:
“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”
Romans 12:3 (NKJV)
• You should not think you are better than you really are—be honest in the evaluation about yourself.
“For if anyone thinks he is something [special] when [in fact] he is nothing [special except in his own eyes], he deceives himself.”
Galatians 6:3 (Amp.)
- A Christian should neither have superiority complex nor inferiority complex, both are not of God—you should see yourself the way God sees you.
“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, BUT IN LOWLINESS OF MIND LET EACH ESTEEM OTHERS BETTER THAN HIMSELF.”
Philippians 2:3 (NKJV) - Do not look down on others nor exploit them because you have an advantage over them.
• If you are different in anything, better than others in one way or the other; always remember God has made you what you are.
- Remember whatever you have, you did receive it from the Lord.
- If you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it (1 Corinthians 4:6,7).
- If you know God is your source, and He is the One who gave all you have to you, you will acknowledge Him. You will know you have them because you have received mercy, not because you are better than others.
“John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.”
John 3:27 (NKJV)
- "What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not!
- For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.”
16 SO THEN IT IS NOT OF HIM WHO WILLS, NOR OF HIM WHO RUNS, BUT OF GOD WHO SHOWS MERCY.”
Romans 9:14-16 (NKJV)
- This is the mindset that God wants every believer to have.
- "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus,
- who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery [something to be held onto] to be equal with God,
- but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men."
Philippians 2:5-7 (NKJV)
• If you have a mindset as we have shared in this piece, you will not think you are better than you really are. You will be honest in the way you evaluate yourself.
- Wrong evaluation of self-amounts to pride in the sight of God; and God resist the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).
"Likewise, you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
1 Peter 5:5 (NKJV)
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Peace!