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It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.’ — 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 NIV
It is not often that we see boasting encouraged. After all, boasting is usually full of arrogance and pride and can come across as annoying. However, in the scripture above, Paul encourages boasting. He doesn’t encourage just any boasting, but rather he encourages boasting in the Lord.
In This Weekly Devotional:
But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. — 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV
Boasting in the Lord is not the same as someone boasting about their new car, grades or achievements. Boasting in the Lord involves us giving glory, praise and honor to God for who he is and the good things he has done. Boasting in the Lord is not self-seeking or self-gratifying. Rather it is centered around the Lord God who deserves all our glory and praise.
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. — Galatians 6:14 NIV
In order to boast in the Lord, we must be willing to humble ourselves. We are imperfect and weak. On our own, we have nothing to boast about. Ecclesiastes 7:20 says, “Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.”
Romans 3:23-24 says, “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” With Jesus’ gift of salvation to us we have so much to be thankful for.
In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever. — Psalm 44:8 NIV
God’s goodness is truly amazing. If we take a step back and see all that he has done, we can offer a prayer or song of admiration. Boasting in the Lord involves praising his name and sharing his wonderful works. We can worship the Lord and sing praise, but that is not the only way that we can boast in the Lord.
We can boast in the Lord by telling others about his steadfast love and kindness. When was the last time we let other people see the joy we have because of Jesus or told them about how he has worked in our lives? We have the honor of boasting of the Lord’s goodness when we share how he is working in both our lives and through scripture.
Are you interested in earning a theology or ministry degree? If so, explore Grand Canyon University’s College of Theology which offers a variety of degree programs on campus and online. To learn more, fill out the form on this page.
Approved by the local outreach coordinator of the Office of Spiritual Life on May 25, 2023.
