Getting over ourselves

Lily Cathcart July 09, 2025 4 4

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Listen to this daily worship

Romans 12: 1-8 (NIVUK)

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.

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. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Each of us are different, and I very much think this is on purpose. For one thing, it would be very boring if everyone were the same, can you imagine trying to have a conversation? Yawn! But also there would be some serious gaps in our ability as a species. No matter how much we think we have things covered in life we cannot be across everything, we are one flower in a field, not enough to sustain an ecosystem, not even close.

I think this is what Paul is trying to get across to his (presumably quite arrogant) readers in this passage from Romans 12. Our job is to be us, the very best us we can be, but also to be part of something bigger, to accept our limitations and even…to find joy in them.

As children we knew that we had limitations but I think we also knew that adults did too. We saw them pause to look something up, we saw them miss things, get angry at others and themselves, we saw them fail. Somehow we seem to forget that when we become adults, we forget that we are limited on purpose. We forget the joy in having someone else cover some of the bases. We forget how to celebrate them for it. Sometimes we even forget to see them doing it.

Today, and this week I challenge you to notice your limitations and smile at them. To notice people doing what you can’t, or won’t, or don’t have time for — and celebrate them. See how much your world changes when you do.

Prayer:

Dear God of a wonder,

Thank you that you made us each unique and valued

Help us to see the value in ourselves and others too

Bring humility to the world we live in

Fill it with love and celebration of others

Amen