Daily Devotional for December 29, 2017
Misplaced Honor
Kaitlin smiled when she heard Hunter misspell the final word of the district spelling bee. He dropped the ‘c,’ and she could tell by his red face he knew it.
“Evanescent, e-v-a-n-e-s-c-e-n-t, evanescent,” Kaitlin rattled off without a breath. She grinned at Hunter as he dropped his head. The audience clapped as Kaitlin was awarded the highest honor in her district. She was the youngest student ever to receive the award, and she’d be going on to the regional competition in a few weeks. After the ceremony, lots of people came up to congratulate her.
On the drive home, Dad spoke up. “Kaitlin, Mom and I are very proud of your achievement, and we realize you deserve it. You worked very hard preparing for tonight.”
Kaitlin smiled and looked at the medal hanging around her neck.
“But, we’re concerned about your attitude,” Dad continued.
Kaitlin looked up, confused. “What do you mean?” she asked.
Mom turned around in the front seat. “You weren’t very gracious to Hunter when he lost tonight. Psalm 101:5 tells us that God hates conceit and pride, but you seemed very proud to have beat him.”
“But that doesn’t seem fair,” said Kaitlin. “I practiced hard every night for two whole months! I won and he lost. You’re saying I shouldn’t be glad I won?”
Dad looked at her in the rearview mirror. “Of course you can be glad you won and satisfied with a job well done. You earned that award tonight. But you also need to remember where the ability to achieve that accomplishment comes from.”
“You mean I won because God gave me the ability to do those things?” Kaitlin asked.
“Exactly,” said Dad. “You need to give glory and honor where it’s due. God wants us to use the gifts He’s given us to bring glory to Him and show others His love. That means thanking Him for all we can do and being gracious to others.”
That night Kaitlin hung her medal on her dresser mirror and wrote a note to Hunter, congratulating him on doing a great job. Then she thanked God for the gifts He had given her and asked Him to help her to use them for His glory and not her own. – Kelly Hollman
How about you?
Is there something you’re particularly good at or proud of? Even if you’ve worked hard to achieve a special position, honor, or skill, God is the one who gave you the abilities and opportunities you needed in order to accomplish what you have. He wants you to give Him the glory for your accomplishments by being thankful to Him and gracious to others.
Thank you for reading this Keys for Kids devotional! Did you enjoy the story? Has Keys for Kids been an encouragement to you and your family? If so, would you please consider supporting Keys For Kids Ministries in our effort to continue to provide these daily devotionals to children around the world?