“I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.” (Psalm 139:14)

Humility and confidence aren’t opposites. They are compatible traits of someone who realizes he or she has been fearfully and wonderfully made by God. Everything we are all of our abilities, our intellects, our talents, our skills, and our capabilities have been hardwired into our DNA by Almighty God or shaped by the experiences He has orchestrated or allowed in our lives. Each of us, even the most self-doubting, is an amazing product created by the Master’s hand. We need to notice how He crafted us so we maximize our efforts to fit His design.

But take careful note: We are His design, not our own. Yes, we are incredible creatures but we can’t take credit. Even our discipline and desire to excel come from God’s work in us. When we realize that God has made us who we are and we appreciate His creative genius, we more eagerly put our lives into His hands and say “Lord do whatever You want to do with me.”

That’s a prayer He’s happy to answer.

Pride is ugly and destructive. Actually, most people who appear proud are only covering up their insecurities. The powerful blend of humility and confidence enables us to appreciate our strengths and use them with excellence, but we recognize that we didn’t create those abilities. They are gifts from God. And that makes all the difference.