Beware of the Glory Hounds

During the 2008 Summer Olympics, there was upheaval about a little girl who sang during the opening ceremony.  The beautiful human being that everyone saw had an awesome stage presence, she was captivating.  However, it turns out that she was not the person who possessed the voice that the audience heard.

To everyone's surprise, it was discovered that the decision makers chose to take the gifts, talents, and abilities of one child and present them as the capabilities of another.  It was deceptive.  It was unfair.  However, many have experienced this behavior in life.

There are often times when someone takes credit for results that come from the work of others.  It is manifested in many forms--stealing ideas, diminishing the contribution of others, or overstating one's own role and abilities.  Glory hounds love recognition and praise.  They cause many problems in work relationships because it's all about their needs, wants, view point, abilities, goals, purpose, etc. Time and resources are consumed to ensure that everyone knows what they have done--even if it is accomplished with a "slight of hand".

The glory hound may seem to win, but the "win" comes with a high price. The cost of this personal stagecraft is trustworthiness. When others are aware of the falsehood, the ability to trust the perpetrator is eroded. 

One thing of which we can be sure is that God does not have favorites.  He made each of us and placed within us the intricacies of our gifts, our interests, our skills, and our abilities. He knows the difference between those who put the time and energy into producing success, and those who work to usurp the credit.

Our task is not to compete to be in the lime light. It is to become excellent in what we do so that we leave our place of influence in a better state.  Seek to use your ability and be diligent in your endeavors. The promise from God is that our gift will make room for us in this world. It may be in your current position, or it may be on another team. No matter how long it takes, you can be confident, it will happen.