As someone who lives in a materially rich country with plenty of opportunities (at least prior to the coronavirus), I'm surrounded by people with nice houses, nice cars, who go to nice restaurants and go on expansive holidays.
When everything is going well, we are tempted to puff up ourselves and attribute our wealth and possessions to our abilities, intellect, or even our hard work. But we see that several thousand years ago, God already gave us a warning related to our tendencies to become proud.
“You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.” (Deuteronomy 8:17-18)
Next time when we are tempted to attribute our material blessings to our own hard work or talents, remember that all our abilities come from God. We have nothing to boast about, for we are nothing without God.
