A Prayer to Boast in the Lord - Your Daily Prayer - September 28

A Prayer to Boast in the Lord 
By: Laura Bailey

Bible Reading:
“Therefore, as it is written: 'Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.'” - 1 Corinthians 1:31 NIV

“Did you see how awesome I played tonight? I was the best one on the team!”
“I scored the highest on my math test, I am the smartest in the class!”
“I got picked as the star student! I am the best-behaved student in the school!”

At first blush, my daughters’ sharing of their personal successes seems innocent. And, my husband and I are eager to praise our girls for a job well done and celebrate their personal victories. Every night around the dinner table, we encourage them to share their highs and lows of the day, in the hopes of celebrating or consoling one another over the day’s happenings.

We love hearing about all the things that bring our children joy. However, we began to notice a trend in our girls sharing about their days. Instead of using the opportunity to highlight something that they did well, enjoyed, or made them happy, the past few nights had turned into a full-blown brag session. And, if that wasn’t bad enough, they began to not only spotlight their “wins,” but also draw attention to  other people’s “lows.”  My husband, in an attempt to squash this new practice of  self-promotion, gave this advice: “We can highlight our achievements, but let other people brag on us.” He then went on to explain that while there’s nothing wrong with being excited over a well-played game, acing a test we've studied hard for, or getting acknowledged for being well-behaved, we must be careful in sharing our success and refrain from criticizing others.  
 Paul, in his letter to the Corinthian Church, wrote to remind them of how, as Christians, they should be living. The Corinthian Christians, while their love for the Lord was evident and their salvation secure, were engaging in behaviors that needed to be addressed. And so, Paul writes this letter to encourage and command that they acknowledge their disobedience to God’s law, and change the way they were living. The first thing Paul addresses is division in the church and arguments over which leader they should follow. Paul reminds them of the message of the gospel; they are now united as one body through Christ, and are called to unity. 

While leaders in the church are essential, we aren’t called to follow a specific leader, but rather to follow Christ. It is not humans who have the power to save them or offer atonement for their sins, but Christ alone. In light of this, no one has the right to boast, because everything good thing in us, our success stories, aren’t ours, they belong to the Lord. God alone should get the credit for all the good that we do. Paul, in our key verse, 1 Corinthians 1:31, echoes a sentiment found in Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NIV), “This is what the Lord says: 'Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches.” 

Paul is reminding us that everything we have comes from the Lord; therefore, the spotlight doesn’t shine on us, but illuminates what God has done through us. It is never about what we have done in this life, but about what Christ has done on our behalf. We can boast in the grace, mercy, and love that Christ bestowed on our behalf, through His saving work on the Cross. We give all the glory and honor to whom it is due, God alone. 

As we reminded our girls, inviting others into our celebrations is a good thing. Let us just be mindful of whom we are looking to promote, ourselves, or the One who deserves the real credit.

Let’s pray:

Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us. Even when we fall short, your love abounds, your mercies renew every morning, and your grace is abundant. We ask that you forgive us when we have pridefully misplaced our devotion, following human wisdom, over Your own. We ask that You convict our hearts, and humble us, may we never forget that You are the creator and we are the created.

Please help us to point others to Christ through the way you have blessed us, our strengths, and our service. May all that we do bring glory and honor to Your name alone. Help us to make it less about us and more about You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Iyan Kurnia

Laura Bailey is an author and Bible teacher who encourages women to understand what they believe, why it matters, and how to apply biblical truths to their lives. Her recent book, Embracing Eternity in the Here and Now, explores how the timeless truths of Ecclesiastes help us live more peaceful, purposeful, and plentiful lives today.

She lives in Upstate South Carolina with her husband and three young girls, where she serves as director of women's ministries at her church. Her passion is teaching the Bible to women, equipping them to live with an eternal perspective. Invite Laura to speak at your next event or learn more: www.LauraRBailey.com connect on Facebook and Instagram. 

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