Righteous Boasting

Many people have a desire to boast about their accomplishments. They are proud of themselves whenever they feel they have done somethings significant. This pride leads to a feeling of independence and self-sufficiency. They feel smart and able to handle life on their own. All such boasting is very damaging. It leads people away from God. It keeps them from really knowing reality. The truth is that none of us can do anything apart from the abilities that God has given us. Therefore, we should never boast about ourselves. We should only give God the thanks and glory for anything we are able to accomplish. There is only one thing about which to boast according to God's Word to Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 9:24) We should only boast in the fact that we understand and know God, and we know that He is the Lord, showing faithful love, justice, and righteousness on the earth because He delights in those things. This was God's declaration to His people in Jeremiah's day, but it is also true for us today.

We should all marvel that the God of the universe makes Himself known to us in a way that we can understand Him and come to have a personal relationship with Him. Once we come to that point, we have something to boast about. When we boast in this way, we are boasting in the Lord, not in ourselves. We know Him as Lord of our life, and we see how He is constantly showing us and others His faithful love. We see His heart to see justice in all things. We see His righteous acts in the earth all around us and around the world. We understand that He delights in all of these things, because we do understand Him and we know Him. This is not a prideful boast at all, since we come to know Him by grace through faith. It is not our goodness, intellect, or works that enable us to know Him. It is simply by trusting Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Then, the Holy Spirit comes into us, and we can understand God and His will. We grow in our relationship with Him, as we follow His Word and the Spirit. Therefore, we boast that God did all of that for us. What a wonderful God we serve!

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Jeremiah 10-13.