Boast

You should have seen the size of the fish I caught!  There is no way that guy could have caught me… I was pegged at about 110 mph!  Back when I was in high school, I made the game winning catch with one hand dragging my foot across the back of the end zone!  Oh yeah… I could dunk!  Are you kidding me?  The ladies thought I was the bomb!

There is yet another unique quality that sets us men apart from the rest of the animal kingdom… our ability to boast.  I would venture to say if lions could talk, they would sit around with their lioness ladies and tell them how they struck down a gazelle with one paw – and never broke stride.  Or perhaps how they would spend some time with their lion cubs telling them how he could spring up from a nap, run 60 mph and take down an elephant and a wilderbeast in one swat of the paw.

Boasting… it’s what we do.  When we boast, we seem to puff up our chest, speak louder and with more conviction… trying to paint ourselves in the best light possible.  So do we boast about our faith and God with the same passion and intensity?  I don’t hear that very often.

Do you boast about your faith?  Do you tell stories of God’s grace and power in your life to your children or friends?  Jeremiah wrote about boasting and summed it up this way:

²³ This is what the LORD says:
“Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,

²⁴ but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,”
declares the LORD.
- Jeremiah 9:23-24

All of those things that you accomplished when you were young, from the smallest to the largest of tasks are only possible through the person that God made you to be.  How can you take credit for anything that you are able to do when you didn’t create yourself?  We are all born with tendencies toward certain abilities, and we can improve those abilities while here on earth.  You didn’t choose your talents, you were blessed with them.  As we trod forward in our daily life, we have to understand that it’s through God’s grace that we are able to accomplish much.

Our day should be filled with boasting… only our boasting should be about how God has given us the ability to live abundantly under His provision.  Anything short of acknowledging God is a lie.

May you recognize God in your victories and allow Him to receive the honor and Glory at things your hands are able to accomplish.  Recognize that who you are is the person that God planned on you to be.   Puff up your chest… speak loudly… and boast in the Lord your God today.  Give Him credit for your victories.

Peace,
Greg Arnold
Acts 4:31

About

Welcome, and thanks for dragging yourself over to Live|Bold! My name is Greg Arnold and I am pumped to see you here. This interactive online community is here to point every man toward the cross. Whether you have been a follower of Christ for ages, or you are just stumbling into this strange new world of faith, we have something of value to offer you. This online e-zine is a cross between a blog, a social network, a resource center, and a pulpit. My hope is to inspire you to live your faith on the outside and be a real man for God. We need you in the fight.