So first, to be on guard against irrational thinking, one must have sound judgment.  That implies there is a standard by which it can be determined if one’s judgment is sound or not.  As Christians, we have the exclusive privilege of knowing the standard—God’s unfailing, unchanging Word.

Furthermore, as Christians, what are we entitled to according to the Word?  In other words, what do we have a right to according to the Scriptures?  Namely, we have a right to love the Lord God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and we have a right to be faithful and thankful in every circumstance, having been set free from our sin and given an eternal inheritance strictly due to the blood of Christ shed on our behalf.

So as we think about how to maintain sober-mindedness in a world intoxicated with irrational entitlement, we must start with how we view ourselves in light of receiving Christ’s grace.  We talk a lot about the importance of receiving grace, but then we give very little thought to the associated responsibility.  Do we view ourselves as one member of one body and therefore members of each part of the body and thus responsible for the well-being of the entire body?  Or are we individuals with very little connectivity to others and thus lacking sound judgment?   Romans 12:3-8 has beckoned us to make sure we are thinking of ourselves soberly, which is manifested by our gift(s) being used in the way that God intended, namely by building up the body of Christ and giving glory to God.