³ 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.  Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, ⁵ so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
Romans 12:3-5

Dear God, I have some confessions this morning. I was given a really great award this last week—one of which I’m really proud. A couple of years ago I would never have imagined that they would choose me for it, but my first confession is that this year, with some of the things with which I’ve been involved in the community, I thought I might have a shot at it and I wanted it. So that’s my first confession. I wanted the award I got and I would have been disappointed if I hadn’t gotten it.

Second, I confess that I like the attention. You know me well, and you know that I love to be admired. It is a huge vice for me. I’m getting better—I can feel myself getting better about needing it—but it’s still an issue for me.

Third, there’s a part of me that is tired and nervous that I will allow myself to slump after receiving the recognition. Or worse, that I will make my activities about the recognition instead of about giving you the glory and honor for everything I do, and following your lead and seeking your blessing.

Father, I’m a mess, but you provided me one really gracious thing in this. The award was actually awarded to another person in addition to me, and he is such a great guy. If I put pen to paper, I would say that he is more deserving than I am. I just appreciate and respect him so much. So it is humbling to be honored in this way for doing things that I’ve done out of obedience to you. It is humbling to be put in the same category and league as this other man. My trick is to embrace everyone around me and the vision you have given to all of us as your body. I cannot do everything. I am certainly not good at everything. I need you. I need my wife. I need my children. I need my parents, in-laws, and siblings. I need my friends, my church, and my community. I am just a part, and one unfortunate thing about the role I usually play is that it often gets recognition that other parts don’t get. So help me to be mindful of all of this and to always remember that it’s all about you.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen