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.
In this part of the letter from Paul, I see a reminder of the older brother in the prodigal son story. It is very often that those who have not come to the feet of Christ because of our behavior. I know there was a time in my life when I thought my sins were too unforgivable. Sometimes looking at those around me with their pretend perfect lives made me feel even more unworthy to come closer to God. We are called to love the sinner, not the sin. How many times we are judgmental just because someone sins different than us?
If we are ambassadors of Christ, how are we showing his love? Wasn’t Jesus who said that he w
ho was free from sin to cast the first stone? Wasn’t Jesus who said to the woman at the well that she was forgiven even though she had been promiscuous? So who are we to judge?
There’s an old movie from Al Pacino, which I don’t recommend anyone to see, but in my time I did. It’s title “The Devil’s Advocate”. The storyis of a man who basically gives into the devil to gain worldly things. Once inside he realizes that he was losing more than gaining and he rejects him. But in the very last scene, the devil comes back in a different shape and lures him again. Why? Pride is the most common sin among Christians, when we think we are better than “those” people because we go to church or serve at one. Even among each other, fighting over position and places within our service within the church.
Instead we are called to be sober, to remember where we came from. We are called to 
remember that we are administrators and not lords. We need to recognize that we each have a place on a mission that was specifically designed for us. In other words, in the eyes of God the CEO and the janitor are equal… and sometimes the janitor gets extra points for doing his work for God.
Here’s plenty. Until next time, be blessed.
In order to fill our lives with the presence of the Lord we need to pray. Think about any relationship in your life. If you don’t talk to that person, you don’t get to know them, you don’t get to spend time with them. Prayer is the way to communicate with God.
were given. I hear people all the time saying that they don’t know what God wants from them. Here’s the thing, God gave us a manual on how he sees things, expects things. In this book he portraits who he is, how he feels about us and what live he wants for us to live and how to do it. The book is called The Bible.
When we worship the Lord we place ourselves in his presence. We were created for worship. I don’t know about you, but nothing fills my heart of joy and peace like entering in a place of worship with the Lord.
another. We are to love each other, encourage each other, pray for each other and help each other. By this I’m not talking about acts of charity, I’m talking about everyday life. Yes, the insane obnoxious coworker/neighbor, the teenager with an attitude, the messy spouse, the rude client/customer service person and the prideful acquaintance.
The two most important commandments we have to comply with are related to love. First, love God our Lord with ALL our hearts and then love others as we love ourselves. Everything is born out of love. Practicing love everyday in everything we do will nourish our lives.
We all have those moments when situations don’t allow us to see more than the mess that it’s in front of us. It’s very easy to get discouraged when we go through something difficult that doesn’t seem to resolve. Sometimes those in who we rely to encourage us are the first ones to have negative things to say. God tells us to not dismay. Isaiah 41:10 tells us, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” 
If we read Exodus, we read how God provided water and food for the Israelites in the desert. He also provided a cloud by day and fire by night to show them the way. The same God of the Israelites is the same God we serve. Exodus 3:14, God tells Moses, He says I am, not I was or I will be. He is still the same God that helped Moses part the Red Sea, and that provided for them in the desert. What is your Red Sea? Who is your Egyptian chasing you down and frighten you? It doesn’t matter. As long as God is God, he will make a way out to provide for you, guide you and comfort you. Until next time;
Be blessed
Naty Matos 