"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).
A funny thing happened the other day. Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, heads of state from all over the world where invited to attend the state funeral, barring just a few. One of the conditions was that the vast majority, except a trifle few, had to travel by bus coach to church. And do you know what, a number decided to shun the event, sending just junior representatives instead. Used to having streets to themselves with mile long caravans, this was too much to imagine.
Now just before Queen Elizabeth II was lowered down her burial place, all the vistages of power- the Imperial Crown of royal authority, orb and sceptre- were removed from her coffin. The minister, David Conner, Dean of St George's chapel, then commited her to the ground saying, "Go forth upon thy journey from this world, O Christian soul.”
In life the Queen might have reigned with castles but here now she was going without anything. For as it is written, "All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again" (Ecclesiastes 3:20).
Now you know what, while some of us are so fixated with the possessions we have amassed here on earth, and those glittering titles for some; yet in the end we all take nothing beyond but our souls. This is why as our verse today warns us, we should not think of ourselves more highly than we ought. Even if we hang on to our seats of power, in the end we are all the same - nothing but fragile mortals made of clay, who one day will stand naked without any trappings of power, before the Almighty God!
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, you who reminds us in your word that "naked I come; naked I return to thee" teach us to be humble all our lives, for we came with nothing and shall take nothing, this I pray in Jesus's name.
