It is not great talents God blesses so much as likeness to Jesus.
Interpretation
True greatness comes from emulating the character of Jesus rather than exceptional talents.
This quote by Charles Spurgeon emphasizes that the qualities that make a person truly great are not their natural talents, but rather their ability to reflect and embody the virtues and character of Jesus Christ. It suggests that striving to be like Jesus—through love, humility, compassion, and righteousness—brings one closer to true greatness in life, overshadowing mere talent alone.
In practice
During a church sermon discussing the importance of character over talent.
Amusement should be used to do us good “like a medicine”: it must never be used as the food of the man...Many have had all holy thoughts and gracious resolutions stamped out by perpetual trifling. Pleasure so called is the murderer of thought. This is the age of excessive amusement: everybody craves for it, like a babe for its rattle.
When you see no present advantage, walk by faith and not by sight. Do God the honor to trust Him when it comes to matters of loss for the sake of principle.
It is far easier to fight with sin in public than to pray against it in private.
You will never glory in God till first of all God has killed your glorying in yourself.
After faith comes repentance, or, rather, repentance is faith's twin brother and is born at the same time.
["All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant."] The original Hebrew word that has been translated "paths" means "well-worn roads' or "wheel tracks," such ruts as wagons make when they go down our green roads in wet weather and sink in up to the axles. God's ways are at times like heavy wagon tracks that cut deep into our souls, yet all of them are merciful.
Common sense suits itself to the ways of the world. Wisdom tries to confirm to the ways of heaven.
I think forgiveness is probably one of the greatest forms of self-love there is because you don't do forgiveness for anybody else. My captors will never care if I forgive them... It will not make a day of difference to them at all, but it will make a huge difference to me.
As time goes on we become old, the future contracts, the past expands...But by future we don't just mean the years ahead; we always mean as well the plenitude of possibilities which challenge our creativity...In confrontation with the future we can become young if we accept the future's challenges.
In forming a judgment, lay your hearts void of foretaken opinions; else, whatsoever is done or said, will be measured by a wrong rule; like them who have jaundice, to whom everything appears yellow.
Your people smarts will prove ten times more valuable than all the book smarts you can't get.
Authority without wisdom is like a heavy ax without an edge -- fitter to bruise than polish.
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