Boast in the Lord!
“For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (NIV) 1 Corinthians 4:7
The dictionary gives two distinct meanings of the word “BOAST”. One meaning pictures the word as positive (to possess or contain something desirable) and the other a negative word (to refer immodestly to possessions or achievements).
Anytime the bible uses the “positive” boast, it admonishes us to boast in the Lord (2 Cor.10:17-18, Ps 34:2, 44:8) and anytime it uses the “negative” boast, it warns us not to boast in ourselves and worldly possessions (Eph 2:8-9, Pro 27:1). Although we recognize that all we have and all we are were given to us by God, there are the tendencies to momentarily take the glory for who we are and what we have. How many times have we not whispered to ourselves, “I have made it” after working hard and succeeded at something? How many times have we looked down on others because we feel we are better off than they are? How many times have we refused to use what we have to help others who need them?
The rich man in the parable of the rich fool (Lk 12:16-21) depicts inward boasting of worldly possessions. Sometimes, we boast in our thoughts, talks and show of pride in our worldly possessions. It is good to boast but we must boast only in the Lord. Let us boast of being faithful Christians and working out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12), let us boast of sharing His word with the world and making disciples of all nations (Matt 28:19-20) and let us boast of being good stewards of our Lord.
Remember, the kind of boasting we are supposed to do is the positive one. Therefore, let us possess or contain something adorable in the Lord. May the Lord continue to bless us as we continue to boast in Him till He comes again, Amen.