Don’t be proud of what you had no say in

I am the father of three boys. We have a family tradition to measure every child’s height on their birthday. The fast-growing teenagers always look forward to the confirmation that they have grown a lot, especially if it means passing the height of one of their parents! There is much banter about who is taller, and who will be taller than who when they finish growing. (It is also humbling for the parents; I lost my tallest status a few years back and am likely to be passed twice more in the next year or two).

This made me consider that many of the things that people tend to be proud of are things that we have no say in at all. Many might be proud of their height, or perhaps embarrassed by their lack of height, yet they did nothing to earn this. It is the same thing with beauty. Having a symmetrical face or a certain body shape is often due to genetics and not some kind of effort on our part. Having a high intelligence is also predominantly genetic; it is a good gift from God, not something that has been earnt.

There is a difference between a gift and a talent. A gift is something you receive that you did not earn. A talent is something that you have developed over time, often based on a gift you have received. Let me give you some examples. Perhaps you have some innate musical ability. You can sing in tune, you appreciate music, and it all makes great sense to you. Does that mean you can play the piano well? Of course not. Playing the piano well takes a great deal of time and effort and instruction and practice. When you look at a concert pianist, you are probably looking at someone who was given some musical gift by God in their nature. But you are also looking at someone who have worked hard to be at the level they are now.

Or you could consider intelligence as another example. It is a great gift to be able to understand things quickly and be able to grasp complex ideas. Yet that does not mean you do well in school. To get decent exam results, intelligence is not enough. There are many people who do well in school through hard work rather than a naturally high IQ. It is a much greater achievement to score well through dedication than to cruise to the same mark based only on your natural intelligence.

It is also true of many of our natural abilities or tendencies. Some people have a calmer disposition, and others are more variable with their moods and responses. The first group of people might not be tempted to fly into a rage when provoked, while the second group may be. It is a much bigger deal to be able to keep your cool when this is a big temptation for you. It makes more sense to feel a sense of achievement in working at something that is difficult rather than something that comes more naturally to you.

What you have been given by God is a gift. What matters is what you do with what you have been given.

How does this fit with the gospel? Well, being a Christian is a gift. No-one earns their way into heaven; it is grace alone. It makes no sense to boast about the fact that you are a believer, as Paul explains at length in the first few chapters of Romans. Yet, once we have been given this great gift, we are called to use our new status well for the glory of God. We are to work hard and use wisdom to apply ourselves to working for the kingdom of God.

More specifically, consider the natural gifts God has given to you. Don’t just be proud of what you have been given but consider how to use them. How are you using these gifts to serve God? Having a natural gift is not enough, you need to use it well. So, if you are good with people, are you using this gift to encourage believers and to be creative with building relationships with non-Christians? If you have been given intelligence, are you using this to study God’s word and teach others or only for your own career advancement?

We have all been given so much by our generous God. Let’s use these gifts well for His glory.