The gift that God has given unto you is very precious and meant to be used according to His plan. Some of us have more than one gift that God has graced us with. The dangerous thing in some people knowing that you have an inept ability to work your gift as if you were a crafted smith is that they view it as an opportunity to "use you for personal gain". Aim to make certain that your gift glorifies God, not yourself or others.
The temptation to rise to fame or show-boat in front of others will come about for many people when serving in the kingdom of God. One thing that Jesus explained and demonstrated on numerous occasions was to learn the importance of humbling yourself. Now, I know that some are thinking about Proverbs 18:16 [KJV] which states that "a man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men." This does not mean that you are supposed to use your gifts to be the headline of every show out there in town so that you can strike a deal with someone who is high up in ranks. What this verse means is that when you humble yourself and dedicate your gift back to God to be used for His plan, He will allow your gift to help open up those closed doors that you been praying for to be opened. God will spiritually elevate you, and with this spiritual elevation will come some physical manifestations. Your duty is to cover your God-given, spiritual gift so that it is not manipulated by others for foolishness.
My personal testimony, in which I have no shame in telling, is one that took place recently. My parents visited me and wanted to meet all of the people whom I call dear friends. Before their trip ended, they shook hands and briefly spoke one-on-one with someone who I knew, but was having a strained friendship with. My mother spoke up and said something to the effect of her daughter (me) having worked diligently in the ministry and being thankful that I was able to get some rest now. What my mother heard from this person shocked her and I won't forget her appalled facial expression. The person stated with attitude: "Yeah, Rita was one of our workhorses." The statement was not meant to say that I was merely a dedicated worker to the ministry. It was meant to sound like, "Yeah, she did what we needed, now we do not need her anymore." I gave my mother the look that said, "Act nice." LOL. Later, my parents both explained to me that what was said about me being a "workhorse" showed the true character of the person whom I was working for. They further explained that my diligence to God was not in vain and it would pay off in the end no matter what this one person thought of me.
Understand that we all have spiritual gifts that are beautiful, priceless, and stronger when we work them according to God's plan. One person is not greater than the other when we are working for Christ. The body of Christ is edified, you are enhanced spiritually and doors open in your favor, and God is glorified when we protect and use our gifts for Him.
Picture retrieved from http://blog.4newhope.com/final-thoughts-on-spiritual-gifts-42/.
