What Do You Have That You Did Not Receive?
We’ve been taught to believe in ourselves, trust our strength, and show the world what we’re made of. But what happens when discipline becomes self worship? Maybe the answer isn’t to look deeper within ourselves, but to look up.
I’m tired of hearing the same message from online motivators.
Believe in yourself.
Lock in so hard nobody hears from you.
Disappear for six months and come back a beast.
Show the world what you’re made of.
But I have a question:
Where is the humility?
Because somewhere along the way, discipline became self worship.
We started looking in the mirror believing we got where we are because of us.
Our discipline.
Our mindset.
Our work ethic.
Our strength.
But what happens when your strength isn’t enough?
What happens when the opportunity disappears?
What happens when you realize that much of what you have today was never guaranteed to you tomorrow?
Then what?
I’m not against working hard.
I’m not against discipline.
I’m not against becoming better.
I just think we should remember where everything came from.
The Bible asks a question I can’t get away from:
“What do you have that you did not receive?” 1 Corinthians 4:7
Your ability.
Your opportunities.
Your mind.
Your body.
Your next breath.
Received.
So maybe the answer isn’t to teach another generation to look deeper and deeper within themselves for everything they’re searching for.
Maybe we should teach them to look up.
Because the more we convince people that they are the source of their own strength, the easier it becomes to produce exactly what Scripture warned us about:
Lovers of self.
Lovers of money.
People who eventually call evil good and good evil.
I still believe there is a remnant of people who are tired of this.
People who want to work hard without worshipping themselves.
Build without making success their god.
Become disciplined without becoming vain.
And accomplish something meaningful while still being able to say:
None of this makes me the source.
God is.
Am I wrong?