Get Sober!

Alcohol is not the only intoxicating influencer of your mind.  People are interesting creatures.  We can justify just about any behavior, any expense, any action, any language we choose to justify.  We can twist any motive we want to take unjustifiable behavior and make it perfectly okay in our own little world.  When we do that, we are drunk... even though we've had no alcohol.  "Non-alcoholic drunkenness" was something Jesus dealt with a lot in people.  The only way He could get through the cloudiness and distortion of peoples' thinking was to say the truth plainly and directly.  The voice of Jesus coming at them was revealing what was within them.  ​Today, having been given the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth, it should be the voice of Jesus coming from within us, revealing what is within us. 

Romans 12:3 NIV  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 measure of faith God has given you.

As we read Paul's encouragement to "do not think of yourself more highly than you ought," most people immediately jump to the issue of pride in this verse, and perhaps that is correct.  However, Paul also says "but think of yourself with sober judgment."  Sober Judgment leads to sober thinking.  Sober Judgment leads to sober behavior.  The inclusion of sober judgment to our thought processes leads to the destruction of ill justification.  Sober Judgment is the path to freedom.  Sober Judgment comes from the voice of the Holy Spirit within.

Signs of "drunk judgment" ...

• Rationalizing excessive emotions (fear, hatred, unforgiveness, walking wounded, )
• Rationalizing excessive spending (bad stewardship, shoplifting, overspending, "I deserve it")
• ​Rationalizing gossip (inappropriate sharing of other people's business)
• ​Rationalizing sexual sin (I'm 'committed' to the person... what does it matter?)
• ​Rationalizing self-loathing (I'll never succeed because I'm not worthy)
• ​Rationalizing inflated ego (I'm somehow superior in my thinking)
• ​Rationalizing privilege (I've worked hard so I'm entitled to my elevated social status)
• ​Rationalizing prejudice (integration is not possible ... it's better to keep to ourselves)
• ​and a thousand other rationalizations and justifications of the mind ... especially with those in the church.

​Don't be deceived.  If you are drunk in your judgment it is just as evident to others as the smell of week-old booze on an alcoholic.  You may think you've got everyone fooled, but you don't.  You may think you have God fooled, but you don't.

Get Sober ... in your judgment of yourself.

​AMEN.

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