"Boast"

I guess he was a cowboy,

‘Cause he appeared to be,

Boots and hat and wild rag,

There was all that, you see.

His jeans were starched a little,

They carried a sharp crease,

He even turned ‘em up a cuff,

And swaggered, if you please.

But just somethin’ about him,

That did not seem quite true,

He always talked about himself,

Not much he couldn’t do.

But in all of his stories,

He played the biggest role,

And once you heard just one or two,

You felt like you’d been told.

But, see, always the good ones,

Who really do the best,

Don’t feel they have to tell it,

To stand out from the rest.

They just go on doing,

The work they need to do,

Don’t care if they’re noticed,

Once done, too tired, it’s true.

Beware of all the braggarts,

The Good Book tells it plain,

Paul said he’d brag on Jesus.

And all else was profane.

Dying to what people think,

And living for His smile,

Is really what life’s all about,

And then after awhile,

We’ll find God’s peace and mercy,

And enjoy a life that’s new,

Boast in the cross of Jesus,

What God wants us to do.

“As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…” (Galatians 6:14, NLT)

God always resists the proud and always graces the humble. Paul boasted in Jesus and the cross of Jesus and nothing else. He was not interested in winning the approval of men, but only of God. He was consumed with a passion to spread the Good News, and there was no room to call attention to himself. For the apostle, it was really all about the Lord. How important for us to realize! Unfortunately and all too often, our lives revolve around our needs, desires, accomplishments, and status. But when all you want to do is brag on Jesus, all of this changes. Self-promotion ends, selfish agendas end, ego is cast aside, and our only boast is who He is and what He has done. May this tribe increase.

Lord, help us make our boast in You alone, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Mark Maggiori, markmaggiori.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Mark, and God bless you.