City Life Starter

Written by Scott Fiddler

The Word

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. 3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.

Romans 12:2-3

Commentary

One of City Life Church’s values is authenticity. If you look on the internet you can find definitions of authenticity as varying as Psychology Today’s seven characteristics of authenticity to Sartre’s definition of authentic jazz. If there is any common denominator among the various definitions of authenticity offered by the world, it is that authenticity means being who you are despite outside pressures to the contrary. 

As Christians though, we can quickly dispense with this definition because who we are is not who we are called to be or who we will ultimately be, and who we currently are is flawed. If people were truly authentic in the worldly definition, the world would be an even worse place than it currently is: the person who doesn’t like you would tell you so to your face, people would tell you when they thought you said something stupid, and people would act out all their other anti-social impulses without concern for you or your feelings. Despite the world’s clamoring after authenticity, they don’t really want what they think they value.

We only become who we were created to be when we fully submit our lives to Jesus and allow God’s grace and power lift us up to the standard of love and holiness to which He has called us. Only at that point does authenticity in the worldly sense make any sense. Likewise, truly authentic jazz would only manifest when a Christian, inspired by the Holy Spirit working through him or her, played what was in his or her heart.

So, the question then is, “What do we do in the interim?” That is where humility and the command the Apostle Paul gave in Romans 12:2-3 comes in. Humility is attitude-reality. As Paul says in the verse above, we are to be transformed by renewing our minds so we do not think more highly of ourselves than we ought but we evaluate ourselves with sound judgment. Sound judgment means not thinking ourselves better or worse than we ought.

Some people think humility is denigrating one’s skills, abilities, and character around others, but that is not sound judgment if it is not in accordance with reality. That is false humility, and false humility is as inauthentic as thinking more highly of oneself than one ought, which is arrogance. If I am good at something, admitting it is being authentic; if I am not, then admitting that is being authentic. Being authentic then is being truthful with those around us.

Application

Also, God opposes the arrogant, but He gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Christians who have an honest view of themselves, their strengths and weaknesses, are useful to God because they will look to Him to help their weaknesses and will give Him honor when they accomplish what they know they could not have accomplished on their own. However, those who are arrogant—who think more highly of themselves than they ought—will not look to God for help and will take credit where God deserves honor instead. God deals in Truth, and His giving grace to those who are living in reality is a good policy because it promotes Truth. In short, authenticity matters not just to others but to God. 

Prayer

Lord, help me to have sound judgment about who I am, my strengths and weaknesses, and who you have called me to be. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.