Rom 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 
Rom 12:4  For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 
Rom 12:5  So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

Romans 12: 3 – 5

How tempting is it for us, that once we accomplish a goal; especially one that others look upon as significant, that we should boast of what we have done?  It is very tempting.  We think more highly of ourselves and feel more confident than we did before, and thus, are ready to take on bigger tasks and more epic goals than most other you may know.  If we, however, as Paul says in verse 3, think soberly – then surely one would come to the conclusion that it isn’t only by their own works that they have achieved said success, but that along the way there were circumstances, opportunities, and people that did things for you of which you couldn’t possibly persuade or affect.  Having these thoughts ground us and eliminate the inflated ego, how much more important does it become for us to be thankful not just for the success, but that we survived the journey to achieve it?  Praise be to God.

This passage, admittedly, is about how all believers in Christ are given different gifts that we use to help each other move forward the one ultimate goal that Christ commanded us at the end of Matthew 28 – go forth into all the world and preach the gospel.  If we reflect on our own life, then we must be aware that no company operates with one person having one skill, but many people having many skills.  For instance, at Microsoft, there are people who program code, those who build hardware, those who do the marketing, and the bean counters (sorry, accountants 😉)  Each has a job to do and role to play in the success of the company.  If the software programmers are not using their skills to make better programs, than that means the computer or other device won’t work as well, which means less sales, which leads to layoffs in marketing because the accountants have to find a way to show a profit for shareholders.  When everyone works together, then success is far more likely (not guaranteed).

The same goes for you own life. If you really analyze your life, than surely it will be shown to you that you had help from teachers, family, friends, a stranger, or some other events that made it possible for you to learn, meet the right people, do something great, and ultimately achieve your goal.  Therefore, as Paul says, “I beseech you,”  that you respect everyone (if you don’t like them), help those who need help, and watch that your words are not making yourself bigger than others and/or belittling those around you – because the sobering truth, is that we are all united.