"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God." –1 Peter 5:6
"God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." –James 4:6b
We can all think of things at which we have been successful. It could be making goals in soccer, being the fastest runner, or being able to hit a home run in baseball. Whatever it is, we have probably been complimented on it before. A glory giver knows how to respond when they receive praise. Humility is recognizing that God and others are actually responsible for the achievements in our lives and giving the glory to them. Give credit where credit is due! God gave us the talents we have. A great coach and supportive teammates allow for our success on the field to happen. Pride believes we have achieved what really God and others have achieved for us.
We have all seen players who stand out from the rest because of their God-given talents, great coaching and teammates, and the effort they put into practicing. Nothing ruins the joy of watching a great athlete use their skills than seeing that athlete act as if they are responsible for their success. Proud behavior saps the joy out of any sport. We need to acknowledge that our talents are a gift from God and that He can take that gift away as well. Thank Him for that which we have been blessed.
1. Do you brag about your skills and abilities as if you are responsible for them?
2. How do you respond when someone praises you for your performance?
3. How can you start responding properly to praise?
Job 1–42; Psalm 141:3; Luke 18:9-14
God, I thank You for the talents with which You have blessed me. I need to give credit where credit is due—to You, my coaches, and my teammates. Using these abilities is an act of worship. I don’t want to spoil that worship with pride and arrogance. Please give me humility and grace. Amen.
About the Author:
Kathi Ridgeway is a stay-at-home mother of two young children and enjoys recreational marathoning in her free time. She proudly represents Christ through FCA Endurance when she runs. She qualified for the Boston Marathon in 3:36:57. In addition to running, Kathi is a boot camp instructor for Adventure Boot Camp for Women in Gilbert, Arizona.