For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: 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
Sober Judgment
Recent data from Numeris’ RTS survey reports that Canadians, as a whole, are cutting back on alcohol consumption, with a more pronounced decline among younger age groups. The fall 2023 survey indicates that 25% of adults aged 18-34 report no alcohol consumption in the past month, compared to 17% in 2018. Similar trends are observed in the 35-54 age group, while the 55-64 and 65+ age groups show no significant change. The fall 2023 survey indicates that 75% of adults aged 18-34 reported having consumed alcohol in the past month compared to 83% in 2018.
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The Bible tells us that pride goes before a fall and a haughty spirit before destruction. A sign of maturity is to be self-aware- we should easily be able to tell someone our greatest strength and our greatest weakness. A follower of Jesus should always see himself or herself in light of Jesus, who is always the measure for all of life. Paul the apostle says this in Romans 12:3: “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: 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.” Pride is thinking of yourself more highly than we ought. We are, instead, to use sober judgment – to look into our hearts and recognize how far short we fall, daily in our desire to be like Jesus. God has given us gifts and talents, and we use them best when we use them to glorify Him. As we do so, we recognize that all we are is because of Him.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley