day no. 15,978: making the most of your boasts

1 Corinthians 1:31

As it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Boasting in inescapable. There is no way around it. The question is, "Of what will our boasting consist?" not, "Will there be boasting?" The answer to the first makes the difference between life and death. The answer to the second is why. We will be proud of something and seek to make much of it. So what will that be and how will we go about doing it are the only questions. In other words, "About what will we boast?" is the only and most meaningful question.

2 Corinthians 10:17-18

“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

Since boasting is a given, you can't fix wrong boasting by trying not to boast. That will quickly just become one more thing you boast about... "Oh, still boasting are we? That's so last season." In other words, you cannot atone for the ambition of boasting by making it your ambition to boast less. You don't fix your misguided boastings by trying to do away with the guided ones. That only creates a new problem.

We were made to boast in the Lord. When we boast about something else, we rob Him. When we try not to boast, we rob Him plus boast about our lack of boasting... we continue to sin only now we cannot see it. Rather than rest in boasting about God, we boast in our resting from obedience.

Galatians 6:14

But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Since we were made to boast in God, let us work hard to boast MORE. The solution to our boasting problem is not LESS boasting, but MORE. Boast in Him more. Boast in Him now. Boast in Him later. Boast in Him in work. Boast in Him in rest. This is our only hope. This gives Him more credit, us more delight, and boasting its proper place.

Jeremiah 9:23-24

Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”