Not mine, but Yours

"Talent is God given: be humble. Fame is man given: be grateful. Conceit is self given: be careful."
-John Wooden


Talent, which obviously is from God, is a gift.
It's not a right. It's not a choice. It's a gift. Free. Unpaid for. 
I know God has blessed me with talent, and I strive to be humble. 
In the words of Jonathan Edwards, "Nothing sets a person so much out of the devil's reach as humility." 
Lord, I pray I would never take the talent you have given me for granted. Let me use my talent for Your glory, not mine. Let Your will be done with my talent, not mine. For this talent you have given me is Yours, not mine. 


Fame. Wanted by many. Achieved by few. Appreciated by even less. 
Fame is not something that is given by God.
That being said, Proverbs 18:16 states that a man's gift makes room for him. 
I believe that God gives us opportunities. Opens doors. Awards His children.
Fame is a funny thing because it can be taken two ways. 1. As somebody who is being blessed by God. 2. As somebody who has walked away from God and has achieved worldly approval.
I'm not sure you can truly know the truth in every situation. Regardless, be grateful. 
Lord, I pray that when you give me opportunities in this life, I would be grateful and be quick to give You the praise, and not keep it for myself. 


Humility has an ugly opposer. His name is Conceit. 
Arrogance is a blindfold to Godly humility.
It burns down the connections between man and God.
It suffocates the realization that talent is God-given. 
It buries the desire to give God all the praise.
It opens the door for the enemy to come and set up house. 
Lord, I pray against pride in my life. I ask that You would strip it away from me if it ever becomes part of my life. I ask that You would keep me humble in this life. I want to be in Your will, and I realize that conceit is not part of Your plan.