Turning Your Brag Sheet Into a Testimony of God's Grace

Our view of our gifts, abilities, status, and positions underlies how we describe and exercise them. Do we come across as insufferably proud about them or humble and overwhelmingly grateful to God for all He has provided for us?

The first is more likely than the second, which germinates and grows only as we are born again, mature spiritually, and understand that they are all God’s gifts.

Fifty years ago, I was proud to be an aquatic biologist with the Pennsylvania Fish Commission. I felt it when groups watched us sample fish populations with nets or electrofishing.

I imagined they wanted to trade places with me, especially if they enjoyed fishing. It must be a smidgeon of what rock, movie, and sports stars feel surrounded by adoring crowds who want to be like them. Bear with me to share one more proud moment.

I studied hard for my college aquatic biology lab test. The record-high score in all previous classes was 139, with 90 percent required to earn an A. I scored 175. My hat size increased overnight! Why did I share that brag sheet experience?

We tend to share random tidbits about ourselves because we are continually trying to elevate our status in others’ eyes. We want them to esteem us more highly than they already do.

Bragging is self-praise that we think will cause others to hold us in higher regard. Bragging is the vocabulary of the insecure and far removed from quiet confidence (Isaiah 30:15).

Babbling about or photographing our successes doesn’t exactly thrill our audience, but it is omnipresent on Facebook. If we eliminated all posts containing such stuff, little would remain. People try to convince each other through their posts that their lives are better than they are.

On one hand, we instinctively resist others’ self-declared claims to greatness or superiority. They irritate us. On the other hand, we tend to brag about ourselves subtly or blatantly because we aren’t satisfied with our perceived present status and seek more to feel better about ourselves.

The problem is that we feel inferior but don’t want others to agree that we are. We tend to use God’s gifts for our glory, not His, and not for others’ benefit.

God has given us gifts, abilities, status, and position to fulfill His purpose. “For what gives you the right to make such a judgment? What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?” (1 Corinthians 4:7 NLT).

Bragging impresses God even less than it impresses people. He gives grace to humble people and resists proud people (1 Peter 5:5). Only His opinion of us ultimately matters.  

We will have to give an account to God of how we spent our lives. “ For the Scriptures say,

“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’” Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God” (Romans 14:11-12 NLT). We will have to explain how we glorified Him and how others benefited from the resources He gave us.

 “The Lord has gifted Bezalel, Oholiab, and the other skilled craftsmen with wisdom and ability to perform any task involved in building the sanctuary. Let them construct and furnish the Tabernacle, just as the Lord has commanded” (Exodus 36:1 NLT). As God gifted those men for their task, He gifts us for ours.

“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all” (1 Corinthians 12:4 NLT).

God has given us a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. We are to use them well to serve one another (1 Peter 4:10). Doing so requires considerable effort.

Peter instructed elders to “care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example” (1 Peter 5:2-3 NLT). Let’s view our gifts with humility and overflowing gratitude and wisely invest them to benefit God’s Kingdom and others. See additional free spiritual growth resources for Christians. #discipleshipresources #evangelismresources #christianleadershipresources 

See free spiritual growth resources for Christians at https://www.christiangrowthresources.com

God has empowered me to write His Power for Your Weakness—260 Steps Toward Spiritual Strength. It’s a free, evangelistic, devotional, and discipleship e-book. Pastors have used it in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia to lead 6,090 people to Christ and teach the basics of Christianity to 15,150 people. I invite you to explore and use it in your setting.  

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