How to boast
But as the scripture says, "Whoever wants to boast must boast about what the Lord has done." For it is people of whom the Lord thinks well who are really approved, not people who think well of themselves. 2 Corinthians 10 : 17 - 18 (GNB) |
Before we start thinking about our passage this week it would probably be helpful to understand what boasting actually is. According to the dictionary, the definition of boasting is to "talk with excessive pride and self-satisfaction about one's achievements, possessions, or abilities."
Those of you who are familiar with your Bible will know that in various places throughout the Bible we are warned against boasting about our own talents and belongings. So why is this week's passage entitled "how to boast" if we already know we shouldn't do it?
Well as we see in our passage this week we are not being told to boast about ourselves (which we know to be wrong) but instead to boast about what God is doing.
So what does this really mean? It means talking with others about the great things that God is doing. Talking with the same level of passion, pride and enthusiasm that you would when boasting about your shiny new gadget, promotion or that holiday where you were blissfully sipping cocktails and watching the sunset into the tropical sea... Well, you get the idea!
Boasting about God is simply giving God the credit that he deserves. As we see in our passage we should be proud of what God is doing in the lives of those around us, in our churches and small groups and in our own lives. We should be proud of these things not because of what we have achieved, or how good we are but because of the great power and love of God.
This week boast all you can, just make sure your boasting is about God and not yourself. Have a great week.
This week's song is Open the Clouds by Unspoken. |
Header image by: Peter Galbraith via FreeImages