Boast In The Lord

          “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get’”(Luke 18:10–12).
          We can be so full of ourselves, can’t we?  Of all people, disciples of Christ should know better but we boast anyway.  “Look at who I am!”  “Look at what I have done!”  While most of us would never verbally express it in such bold terms, our boasting still exhibits itself in the way we interact with others.  We may have a condescending or judgmental attitude toward others.  We might draw attention to ourselves and our accomplishments through our actions.  However it happens, it is still boasting.
          My guess is that Saul of Tarsus, like most Pharisees, was a man acquainted with boasting.  Even after his conversion and even after he viewed such accomplishments as “rubbish”, the list of his former boastings came easily to mind (Philippians 3:4-8).  But Paul had learned a better way.  He learned to boast about his weaknesses rather than his strengths (2 Corinthians 12:9).  He learned to boast in the work of God rather than his own works (Ephesians 2:8-9).  His boasting came to be centered in the cross of Jesus (Galatians 6:14).
          Rather than boasting about ourselves, let’s boast in our Lord.  “But he who boasts is to boast in the Lord.  For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends” (2 Corinthians 10:17–18).  Self promotion won’t gain the approval that is most important.  May the words we speak and the attitudes and actions we display be of the kind that seek the commendation of God.  May we bring glory to Him and not to ourselves.  Lord, help us to only boast in you!

God loves you!
Mike