What do you have that you did not receive?
“For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (NIV) 1 Corinthians 4:7
The gifts of God are without repentance (Romans 11:29). To some, He gives wisdom; to others, eloquence, strength, or wealth. But when gifts begin to speak louder than the Giver, something sacred is lost. How often we forget that "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above" (James 1:17). What is meant to be used for service often becomes a platform for pride.
Consider Uzziah, king of Judah. "As long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper" (2 Chronicles 26:5). He built cities, defeated enemies, and became strong. Yet, "when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction" (v.16). Uzziah, empowered by God, intruded into the priesthood—a sacred space not his to enter. The result? He was struck with leprosy and lived isolated till death.
Why do we boast in what we did not originate? Paul asks, “What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). A voice that stirs hearts, a mind that solves problems, hands that heal-none are self-made. All are lent, not earned.
The lesson? Gifts are not trophies, but tools—meant to glorify God and lift others. When we boast, we blind ourselves to grace. But humility invites more grace: “God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble” (James 4:6).
Let every gift remind us of the Giver. Let every success reflect His glory. And let us ask, not “How great am I?” but “How well have I served?” Amen!