“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?” (1 Corinthians 4:7).

Pride is never pretty and it wasn’t attractive in the Corinthian believers. In this Scripture Paul asked them questions that will check pride in any of us. The first question is pointed. “Who makes you different?” We are fellow travelers on this Christian journey. We do have different gifts, ministries and personalities. But with our differences, it is important to know that every believer is as valuable as any other believer. Each person’s gift is as important as any other gift.

For me, the most penetrating question is the second one. “What do you have that you did not receive?” Honestly answering that question leaves no room for pride or boasting. Our righteousness, Isaiah said, is like filthy rags and so God gives us the gift of righteousness that is based on our faith in Jesus. In his letter James pointed out that “every good and perfect gift is from God. It comes down from the Father” (1:17).

God not only gave us our spiritual gifts, He gave us our natural talents and personalities. He created us. The beauty of understanding this is that it keeps our feet on the ground. It promotes humility. It helps us give God the credit He deserves. Knowing that we have nothing that we did not receive leads to unity because we stand on equal ground before God. When we are successful we learn to say “Thank You, God” not, “Look what I did.”

We all equally learn to lean on Him for our strength. To the question, “What do you have that you did not receive?” I have to respond “Nothing.” Anything we accomplish stands as a testimony to the infinite grace of an extravagantly generous God.