I used to raise pigeons as a teenager, so I have a fairly good understanding of their behavior. But today I was given a reminder. As the bus I was riding on came to a standstill in traffic, I spotted out my window a group of pigeons. One little fellow in particular caught my eye. He was strutting around the others (I assume they were females) showing his manly pigeon figure and colorful array of feathers. The other pigeons seemed to be ignoring him as they picked and scratched at the ground for whatever it was they were eating. His efforts to draw attention to himself seemed in vain. Was he delusional or just very hopeful?

While I pondered the pigeons, the verse came to me, "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)

I wonder, how many times have I tried to draw attention to myself while the world around me goes about its business? Have I fallen into moments of "delusion", trying to conjure up some false image of myself to impress others? It's so easy to get caught up in appearances and lose sight of who we are in Christ. It's time to let His image in us be that which grounds us emotionally and speaks to others spiritually. Our opinion and beliefs about ourselves must represent what God says; anything less is delusional, a break from reality.

Prayer: Dear Lord, my efforts to be noticed may or may not show on the outside, but you know my heart. I receive the grace you have already given to me, in order that I might have a realistic opinion of myself and an unwavering trust in you.