Merit
Does God really call us to attribute all the good flowing from our lives to him? I can not find anything in scripture that would answer this question in the negative, and yet living this way seems to against the very grain of my nature. I can put myself at the mercy of God for my eternal salvation, but in the everyday I want my best efforts to reflect somehow positively on myself and not just God. Is this completely selfish, or am I missing something?
As you know the idea of free will recognizes the role we play in the events of our lives. However, free will does not exist exclusive of sovereignty. In the midst of sovereignty God is looking for voluntary lovers and followers of Christ. In the midst of His sovereignty He is looking for those who will invest the talents He has given to them (Matt 5:24-30). Whether you lean more towards free will or more towards sovereignty, it is clear that God's role is much bigger than ours. See Acts 17:24-28. So to answer your first question I believe that yes, God calls us to attribute the good flowing from our lives whether circumstances or accomplishments as coming from above, from the Father of lights. Better to err on the side of humility.