THANKFUL

Chatting with Jesus

Friday, August 11, 2023

Lord, when you hear people boasting, bragging about their accomplishments, does that leave you shaking your head? Oh, my, how they love to brag about their wealth, exaggerating their entrepreneurial skills that created them fortunes that even Solomon would envy. I can’t forget Hollywood, which produces not only movies but turns out braggarts with industrial-strength egos as well. As a former “professional” drag racer, I’ve heard more exaggerations, where the boaster won every race, won the championship every year, set every speed record imaginable, all the while driving with one hand. Of course, at that time, I boasted with the best of them. As you know, Lord, some of it was true.

Your Word speaks about boasting but in a much different way. Your earthly brother James detailed who should boast and what to boast about, and it certainly wasn’t about anything they did.

“Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. And those who are rich should boast how God has humbled them,” — James 1:9, 10 (NLT).

What do the poor have to boast about that you would honor them, Lord? Their great faith. That’s all they have. The poor depend on you for all their needs, and you amply supply those needs. They don’t worry nor doubt when things look lean, or the cupboards bare. They just keep praising and thanking you that you will come through for them.

How should the rich boast since they have everything they could want. With humility. They acknowledge they are not self-made wealthy but confess all they have is a gift from you. Your Spirit reminds them when they examine their bank account that you have trusted them with wealth so they, in turn, can bless others and further your kingdom here.

If I’m gonna boast, help me boast as Paul taught the believers in Corinth, “If I want to boast, boast only about the Lord,” (2 Corinthians 10:17). Who else is worthy?

Amen, Jesus.