Talent is God given. Be humble.
Fame is man-given. Be grateful.
Conceit is self-given. Be careful.
~ John Wooden
There are so many people — when they become rich or powerful or famous — who fail to recognize the source of their blessings. They fail to recognize God as the source of their talents. They fail to recognize other people as the source of their fame. Instead, they become conceited, arrogant people who look down upon others. That is not how we are supposed to act. We are called to be better than that.
I remember a priest-friend of mine many years ago who spoke about humility. He said that humility was being able to see ourselves as we truly were, whether it be as a wealthy person, a popular person, a talented person, whatever. Humility would see us as we truly were and give thanks to God for it knowing that it was God who blessed us and made us who we were.
It was all right, he would state, to say that we were incredibly talented as long as we knew that it was not our own doing but God’s gifts that made us that way. Too many people forget that. They are quick to claim that they were the ones who were responsible for all that they were. They claim hard work and discipline as the source of their achievements, forgetting that it was God who gave them the talent upon which to build with their hard work and discipline.
I have to tell you, I can’t stand hanging around conceited people. Their constant claims of making themselves who they were and refusal to acknowledge that God was the source of their many talents is disturbing. I’ve seen it too many times in the past. When they crash and burn, as sometimes happens with people like that, they are totally lost because they’ve not cultivated a relationship with or trust in God. They do not look to Him for help because they have never done so in the past.
The truly humble person is the one who will always be centered. If great things come their way, the humble will praise God for what they have accomplished. If bad things come their way, they will rely upon God for help to make it through and credit God when things get better. Humility, not conceit, is the way to go.
FAITH ACTION: Ask God for the grace to be truly humble.