Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us Romans 12:3

It’s not how big our ideas seem to others or how important we think we are that matters. What really matters at the end of life will be what God will think about how we have used the gifts He has entrusted to us. When I was a teen-ager I helped on a farm for a while. We had pigs to slop, cows to milk, chickens to feed and even a couple of goats for a short time. Of all the animals we had on that tiny farm the ones I liked the least were the geese.

Our cow could be ornery on any given day, and the pigs were just plain stubborn (You might lead sheep but not pigs!). The chickens were not too bright and needed constant protection from the dog, the local raccoon and each other. But the geese, well they were pretty sure that they were better than any of the other animals that they shared the farm with.

Whenever I approached to feed them they would stick out their necks and hiss and flap their wings in a phony show of courage. In reality if I began to chase them they would turn tail and run as fast as their webbed feet could carry them (Farm geese don’t fly much) But no matter how much they hissed, flapped or ran they never really convinced anyone else of their importance.

I know that they Bible tells us we have more value than they birds of the air, but there have been some times when we have all acted a lot like those pompous geese. We put on a great show of bravery and self-importance but in the face of real trouble we forget our faith and run for the hills.

God tells us to humble ourselves and start out each day remembering exactly who we are and who we are not. No one is more important than anyone else on God’s farm. We are all loved by Him and given a particular job to do. The gifts we are given and even the opportunities to use them are given by the Lord.

God has made you special…but not any more special than anyone else! Remembering that is the true key to finding the will of God for our life.