God's Word tells us not to glory in the things He has given us—gifts like IQ, athletic ability, and beauty (Jer. 9:23, 1 Cor. 4:7). If He tells us not to glory in those things, doesn't it make sense that He has built into humanity this kind of negative impact when we do glory in them? And how often in Scripture does He task us to work hard? (Col. 3:23, 1 Cor. 10:31, 2 Tim. 2:15, and Prov. 6:6 are just a few.)
Let's work hard, as families and as educators, to encourage our children to make the most of the gifts that God has given them and to praise God, not our children, for those gifts. Read more.