Wednesday, September 6, 2023

“If I had a mind to brag a little, I could probably do it without looking ridiculous, and I’d still be speaking plain truth all the way. But I’ll spare you. I don’t want anyone imagining me as anything other than the fool you’d encounter if you saw me on the street or heard me talk.” (2 Corinthians 12:6, The  Message Bible)

                Allow me to do a little grandfatherly bragging, a bit of boasting.

                Our eight-year-old grandson, Henry, was named his team’s MVP for the season. He plays second base for a rep team, a level that is a little higher than house league. Rep teams play other teams from other cities.  One has to have some better skills for the game to play on a rep team. His brother, William, is also on a rep team for ten-year-olds.

                I got my love of baseball from my father. I passed it on to Nick. When he was less then a week old, he was sitting on my lap as we watched the MLB playoffs, together.  Nick has passed the love of the game to his boys. So yes, it makes me very proud to see them enjoy and excel at the game we all love so much.

                Being voted as the Most Valuable Player on Henry’s team is pretty cool. So darn right, I am going to do some boasting, some bragging, and take pride.

                Boasting about someone else’s accomplishments is okay by me; people should be appreciated for what they do. But I have never been very comfortable about bragging about myself which is not to say that I have never been arrogant or big-headed. Been there, done that! Nevertheless, there is enough humility in me that prefers to deflect praise or acknowledge the things that I may do well. Perhaps, there is something in my upbringing that one doesn’t work for praise and constant commendation but rather for the pleasure or satisfaction of a job well done.

                “It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.” (Ephesians 4: 8 -10, TMB)

                I once knew of a Baptist minister who openly claimed that the was our Convention’s best preacher. He wasn’t; he may have been good but there were many who were equally capable but never crowed about it.

                Boasting is a balloon of hot air, waiting to blow up in our faces. “Don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying.” (James 3: 14, New Living Translation)

                In his letter to the Philippians, Paul speaks about the things that would be cause for personal boasting, “even though we can list what many might think are impressive credentials. You know my pedigree: a legitimate birth, circumcised on the eighth day; an Israelite from the elite tribe of Benjamin; a strict and devout adherent to God’s law; a fiery defender of the purity of my religion, even to the point of persecuting the church; a meticulous observer of everything set down in God’s law Book.” (Philippians 3: 5 -6, TMB)

 But them he goes on and says, “Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.” (Philippians 3: 8 -9, TMB)

Now, I am sure that we needn’t be so severe on ourselves that we regard all that we do as foul refuse or garbage. But I do think we can take a cue from Paul in what is appropriate to brag about: “Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me...” (Romans 15:18,  NLT)

But let’s be clear, we don’t get to brag about our piety, our religiosity, any sense of spiritual superiority, church-y entitlement, or even biblical knowledge. “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13: 1 – 3, NLT)

Let others boast about you and me because we exude love, compassion, kindness, empathy, acceptance of one and all, and spread that Love around. “So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.” (Colossians 3: 12 -14, TMB) 

Dale