Who gets the credit?

When Ronald Reagan was President, he had a sign on his desk that said, "There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn't mind who gets the credit." In 2004, when I visited the Reagan Presidential Museum and Library, I purchased a paperweight with this saying on it and I have had it on my desk ever since.
While I struggle to live out this motto at times, I strive to allow these words to echo in my mind.
Another man who I greatly admire has lived by this creed for much of his life. Church Noll coached the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1969 until 1991. He is the only head coach to win four Super Bowl titles. He is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In spite of all of these accomplishments, he never looked for fame or fortune. He quietly headed into retirement.
This morning I read a great article about Noll that reminded me what kind of man he is and was.
As I think about men like Ronald Reagan and Chuck Noll, I think about the man who embodied this kind of humility and accomplished the greatest fete in the history of mankind. This man was no ordinary man. He was more than a man. He was God, in the flesh. Paul describes Him this way in the letter to the Philippian church:

Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

When I think about men like Reagan and Noll, I believe that while none of us are perfect, we can strive to have the attitude of Christ. And while both of them had plenty of faults - don't we all - they exhibited a humility that I wish could be a bigger part of who I am.
I am convinced that what often holds me back from accomplishing greater things is me. If I could set down my pride, stop worrying about what people will think about me, and focus on carrying out Kingdom work and considering others more, I am sure that God could use me to do much more than I can ask or imagine.

shine!
Jason