Whereas God condemns self-centered boasting, God-centered boasting is another way of saying praise. Boasting about God continually is praising His name. Boasting in Him is worshipping Him (Psalm 44:8).
Hannah boasted about and delighted in God’s deliverance from her barrenness when He gave her Samuel (1 Samuel 2:1). God’s people find deliverance in Him and boast in Him (Isaiah 45:25). Those who make Him the reference point of their lives influence others to seek blessings from and boast in Him (Jeremiah 4:2).
Boast about only the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:31). Because human accomplishments and abilities are God’s gifts, we must boast in what He provides and not glory in what we have done as if we did it independently of anyone and anything (2 Corinthians 10:17). We didn’t.
Boasting about God continually is praising His name. There is a connection between boasting in Him and worshipping Him and between trusting in Him and boasting about Him (Psalm 49:6).
Believers confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory and freely talk about it (Romans 5:2). They rejoice that Jesus has made them God’s friends and freely boast about Him (Romans 5:11). They don’t try to steal His glory.
God judged Assyria for its pride and arrogance. God used it as an instrument to judge many nations, but it took all the credit for its military victories. We must talk about what God has done through us, not what we have done (Isaiah 10:15).
Paul wasn’t seeking to steal credit and glory that belongs to God but was soaking in the joy of what God had done through him free of charge to the Corinthians. God compelled Paul to preach the gospel. That was his assignment and obligation.
Like a servant doing required tasks, Paul had nothing to brag about (1 Corinthians 9:15–16). He boasted that he received no money from the Corinthians for his ministry to them, unlike the money-driven false teachers (2 Corinthians 11:10).
Paul boasted about his weakness to highlight the work of God’s grace and power in his life (2 Corinthians 11:30). His weakness magnified God’s power and grace (2 Corinthians 12:9). Paul boasted about the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ through which the world was crucified to him and he to the world (Galatians 6:14).
To summarize, boasting about self is bad. Boasting about what the Lord had done in and through us is good. (2 Corinthians 11:21). So is boasting about God. #freediscipleshipresources #freeevangelismresources #freechristianleadershipresources
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