Our greatest intellectuals and musicians struggle with similar challenges of remaining modest and grateful to those who have inspired them to shine. The world’s most powerful nations and empires have also stumbled over lavishing themselves with too much credit.
With a plethora of examples to learn from, why is it that too many of us still get so puffed up whenever we enjoy a little success?
We don’t have to be celebrities or athletes to behave so foolishly either. All of us are guilty of the same vanity from time to time.
Each one of us owes most of what we are to someone else, and ultimately to God. We become only as smart as He allows, and we run only as fast as He permits.
At the height of our lives, He has designed us to stay there for only so long. Time will eventually take its toll on the most beautiful, the most athletic, and the most brilliant among us.
All of us could afford to strive harder to remain humble and thankful whenever we meet with success. We all begin with basically nothing. We are modest, hungry, and coachable. If we could simply maintain those attributes, we would surely cherish our successes even more. We need to be honest and to give thanks to those who make our successes possible -- especially content to give God the glory. It simply belongs to Him anyway.
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