E.G.O. (Edging God Out) by Margaret Slaughter

E.G.O. (Edging God Out)

 Humble Service in the Body of Christ

“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

I’m sure we all know someone who brags about everything.  They always have to ‘one up’ every story you tell.  Every statement or story begins with ‘I’.  And in all of that bragging, they never seem to acknowledge God for what they have, or what they have accomplished.  They have essentially become their own god.  That’s a dangerous place to be.

I was watching Pastor Carl Lentz, and he described ego as edging God out.  Merriam Webster says the Latin word for ego is ‘I’.  How appropriate.

What if this story describes you?  What now?  The answer can always be found in the Word.  The title of this passage says, ‘Humble service in the body of Christ’.  Humble is defined as having or showing a modest or low estimate of one’s own importance. 

-First, acknowledge God for who He is. 

-Second, acknowledge God for what He does. 

-Third, acknowledge that we are nothing, and we can accomplish nothing without Him. 

-Fourth, pray and ask Him to convict you each time you become your own god.

The Message version of Romans 12:3 puts it this way, “it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God.  No, God brings it all to you.  The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.”

So, don’t ‘think of yourself more highly than you ought’, and edge God out.  Give Him the praise He is due.

Margaret Slaughter