Not to Think More Highly Than He Ought to Think

Not to Think More Highly Than He Ought to Think

This is exactly what it means to be humble, which is the most important thing of all. For only the humble receive grace, and every good thing prospers by God’s grace!

Not to think more highly than you ought to think is the same as not going beyond your measure or beyond your limits.

In reality this means that what I permit myself to think, imagine, determine, and judge ought to be relative to the work that God has accomplished in me and in others through me.

Paul writes, “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you . . . .” 1 Cor. 4:3. The Corinthians possessed the Spirit, gifts, and the right knowledge and doctrine, yet they could not—they absolutely could not—judge Paul’s ministry correctly.

They did not even have victory over all sin. They were far from being spiritual people; consequently, they were totally incapable of judging correctly in a matter.

Unfortunately, they nevertheless permitted themselves to judge, thereby thinking far more highly than they ought to have thought. They thought far too highly of themselves; they were neither humble nor lowly in their own eyes, despite having good reason to be.

When a person does not live an overcoming life, he may safely and habitually think like this: “It is not fitting for me to have an opinion or say anything about this.” Or: “I am certainly not the right person to judge in this matter.” How sad that there are so few people who are truly humble from their heart, in deed and in truth.

Such a humble train of thought is foreign to most people.

Unfortunately, the usual thing is to judge, condemn, and criticize virtually everything and everyone without ceasing, even though the person himself can be a miserable wretch, spiritually speaking.

This is without a doubt the main reason why many people are in a bad state.

God could not give them much grace because they thought far too highly of themselves. This means that they were foolish enough to concern themselves with judging and condemning far, far too much.