Do you like people who brag about themselves? Is it bragging if what they are stating is true? Is it their attitude when they talk about themselves that makes it bragging? Have you heard Jesus state what He was doing? Do you considered Him to be bragging?
Most of us do not like to listen to a braggart. Someone boasting about their great accomplishments typically doesn’t turn us on. However, we like to hear stories from those who have gong places we haven’t gone and done things we haven’t done. The difference between a story and bragging is delivery.
When John the Baptist sends a couple of his disciples to go ask Jesus if He is the One they were waiting for, Jesus doesn’t give a simple yes or no answer. Instead, Jesus lists the things He was doing. Not only that He tells John’s disciples to report what they had seen and heard He had done. Without context, we might think Jesus was bragging. But Jesus was stating what He had done to demonstrate He was fulfilling prophecy that John would know pointed to the Messiah.
Much like Jesus was stating fact, and likely doing so humbly rather than arrogantly, we can tell people what we have done. Jesus is our example for how to live our lives. Therefore, we can follow Him in this example. Being humble does not mean we must be a doormat. It does mean that when we speak of our accomplishments, we give credit to God for his blessings. We attribute all we have accomplished to God. For we can do nothing without him.
I pray we all follow Jesus’s example. I pray we know it is only by God’s blessing that we can accomplish anything. I pray each one of us give God the credit when we speak of accomplishments. Follow Jesus’s example. Recognize God’s blessings. Give God the credit.
Matthew 11:4-5 Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with a skin disease are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.”
Marty Pressey 